Molecular discrimination of New Zealand sourced meat spoilage associated psychrotolerant Clostridium species by ARDRA and its comparison with 16s RNA gene sequencing

ARDRA analysis was carried out on 90 New Zealand psychrotolerant Clostridium isolates derived from three meat production animal types and their environments. The isolates included species associated with spoilage: C. gasigenes, C. algidicarnis, C. tagluense, C. frigidicarnis and C. estertheticum. The isolates fell into 14 distinct ARDRA Groups, with 13 previously characterised meat spoilage-associated isolates shared between 6 of the 14 groups. The accuracy of ARDRA profiling analysis was supported by sequencing the 16s rRNA gene from isolates, including the representative spoilage associated Clostridium species and was consistent with previous phylogenetic relationships and classical cultural characterisation. The ARDRA methodology described in this study successfully discriminated between the different spoilage-associated species of clostridia as well as other pyschrotolerant Clostridium species associated with meat production. This discriminatory molecular screen will aid future source attribution studies as well as enable meat processors to identify and validate control measures for clostridia contamination, thus gaining greater efficacy in controlling meat spoilage caused by psychrotolerant clostridia.