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 (beef, lamb, and deer), and their environments. The isolates fell into 14 distinct ARDRA Groups (1 to 14) and 13 previously characterised meat spoilage associated isolates were shared between 6 of the 14 Groups. The accuracy of ARDRA profiling analysis was supported by 16S rDNA sequencing, including the representative spoilage associated Clostridium species which were 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 pyschotolerant Clostridium species associated with meat production animal types (beef, lamb, and deer), and their environments. This discriminatory molecular screen will aid future source attribution studies as well as enable meat processors identify and validate key control measures for clostridia contamination thus gaining greater efficacy in controlling meat spoilage conditions caused by psychrophilic and psychrotolerant clostridia.