(sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis)) and
biomolecular(partial16S rDNAsequencing,ribotyping) testsare not in good
agreement, and the isolateshave been proposed to represent newspecies
(Raaskaet al., 2002).
Bacillus cereushas beentraditionally detectedfrompaperand boardby
culturing and verified by additional biochemical tests. This is slow and
complicated. Recently a real-time PCR-based rapid and semi-quantitative
methodwas published to screenand detectB. cereusgroupbacteriadirectly
fromvariouspaperand packagingsamples(Prihaet al., 2004).Quantitative
results can be obtained in one day,whereas platecountand API results takea
minimum of one weekto obtain.The detection methodenables industry to
obtain accurate informationon contaminationroutes and the occurrenceofB.
cereusgroupbacteria in end-products, as wellas to respondquickly to the
changes detectedin the microbiology of manufacturing process.
Anotherexample of advanced detectionof importantcontaminant in paper
industry is the detectionof sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) withmolecular
techniques.So far the detectionof SRBhas beenhamperedby the inability of
cultivation to detect the number and nature of these bacteria correctly.
Accordingto Maukonen et al. (2005) Desulfovibrionaceae-related bacteria
can be detected without priorenrichmentdirectlyfrompaperindustrysamples
rapidly and reliably.
The emergenceof detectionand characterisation methodsbasedon molecular
biology are linkedto the needfor a betterassessementand managementof the
microbiologyin industrial raw materials, processes and products.The develop-
ment of molecularmethodsthat are validin practicalindustrial use is crucial for
the bettermanagementof microbiologyin industrial processes.
24.5 Sources of furtherinformationand advice
∑ HYGRAM’hygienerisk assessmentmodel: http://hygram.vtt.fi
∑ Policy statementconcerning paperand boardmaterialsand articlesintended
to come in contact withfoodstuffs: http://www.coe.int/soc-sp
∑ Risk World provides links to risk analysis-related sites: http://
http://www.riskworld.com24.6 References
ANDERSSONA, RO»NNERUandGRANUMP E(1995),Whatproblemsdoesthe foodindustry
have with the spore-forming pathogens Bacillus cereus and Clostridium
perfringens?Int J FoodMicrobiol, 28 , 145±155.
BEATTIES HandWILLIAMSA G(1999),Detectionof toxigenicstrainsofBacilluscereus
and otherBacillusspp. withan improvedcytotoxicityassay.Lett ApplMicrobiol,
28 , 221±225.392 Handbookof hygiene controlin the foodindustry