A total of 235 strains of so-called psychrophilic bacteria were isolated from bottled milk, ice candies, ham and sausage.
1. Of the 235 strains, 161 (68.6%) were of Pseudomonas (PS), 31 (13.2%) of Micrococcus (MC), 22 (9.3%) of Alcaligenes (AL), 16 (6.8%) of Aeromonas (AR), and 5 (2.1%) of an unidentified genus.
2. Fat decomposition was positive in most of the strains of AL, AR, and PS, and negative in the MC and unidentified strains. The highest and lowest fat decomposition were seen in the PS and AR strains, respectively.
3. PS, AL, and AL strains were isolated from U. H. T.-pasteurized milk after incubation at 35, 21, and 5°C, respectively. From milk pasteurized under the holding system, MC strains were isolated at 35°C, MC, PS, and unidentified strains at 21°C, and PS strains at 5°C.
4. None of the AL strains grew at 35 or 30°C. Some of the PS strains grew, but others did not, at 35°C. The AR strains did not grow well al 35°C. The MC strains showed growth within a wide range from 5 to 35°C, though some of then grew only a little at 5°C.
5. There was a tendency among the PS strains that pigmentation at King B medium was positive in most of the strains capable of growing at 35°C and negative in the strains which failed to grow al this temperature.
View full abstract