Clostridium spp.

Clostridia are widespread in soil, water, dust, sludge, vegetation, and in human and animal intestine, being found throughout the livestock environment and subsequently in milk and derived products. They include pathogenic species that potentially cause food-borne illness due to the production of dangerous toxins. Nevertheless, most Clostridium species relevant to dairy products are non-pathogenic to humans, but their multiplication can lead to serious quality defects in semi-hard and hard cheeses with consequent economic losses due to their ability to survive harsh conditions through spore production.