Diversity of Leuconostoc gasicomitatum associated with meat spoilage

Leuconostoc gasicomitatum isolates (n = 384) associated with spoilage of meat and vegetable-based foods were characterised by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing. Our aim was to evaluate the diversity and distribution of spoilage-associated L. gasicomitatum isolates from meat products, and to determine whether the PFGE genotypes are specific to product, producer, or isolation year (1997-2007). PFGE typing differentiated the isolates into 68 genotypes, and revealed that none one of the 54 genotypes associated with meat products was recovered from vegetable-based foods. Generally, the meat-derived genotypes were not specific to meat animal species, and many genotypes included isolates from products of different types or processors, as well as isolates collected in different years. Furthermore, certain genotypes were repeatedly identified from products of the same processing plant suggesting that the processing environment may have an impact on L. gasicomitatum contamination of meat products.