The spore forming bacterium Bacillus licheniformis is a common contaminant of food ingredients and products. It can produce the heat stable compound lichenysin, which has been reported to lead to food borne intoxications. The presence of B. licheniformis in foods  can result in spoilage if the spores survive processing and the organism grows in the finished product. Microbial predictive models and analytical methods are applied to evaluate the risk of survival, growth and toxin production during manufacturing and in finished products throughout shelf life.

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