VIT-Bier: The Rapid and Easy Detection Method for Beer-Spoiling Bacteria

摘要

The rapid detection test for beer-spoiling bacteria, VIT-Bier plus L. brevis, was evaluated by using 500 different brewery samples taken from ongoing production. The aim of this validation procedure was to determine whether a quick and safe trace detection is possible with this rapid detection tool when compared with conventional analysis. The test is based on the vermicon identification technology (VIT) gene probe technique that enables the fast and specific detection of viable beer-spoiling bacteria within 3 h, after a short preenrichment (1-2 days) in NBB-C. The target molecule of the gene probes is a structural part of the protein factory within the cell, which exists only in sufficient amounts in live bacterial cells. During this evaluation, test samples from all stages of the brewing process (filter feed as well as filtrate samples) from a large South German brewery were analyzed. The results were compared with the findings of the quality assurance department, and they were 100% in accordance. In addition, the frequency of contamination with the different beer-spoiling bacteria was determined, and Lactobacillus brevis was identified to be the most common beer-spoiling bacterium.