The sensitivity of vegetative cells and ascospores of some food spoilage yeasts to sanitisers

The relative tolerances of the vegetative cells and ascospore-rich suspensions of two yeast species to sanitisers commonly employed in the food industry were compared using a suspension test procedure. The yeasts. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia anomala had been isolated from a bakery environment and implicated as potential spoilage microorganisms. The sanitisers included two quaternary ammonium compounds, an amphoteric-based sanitiser and a hypochlorite. The test assessed the ability of the disinfecting agents to destroy the ascospore-rich populations within the times and concentrations recommended to sanitise surfaces in food production environments. Vegetative cells of S. cerevisiae were more sensitive than the vegetative cells of P. cerevisiae were more sensitive than the to be more susceptible to sanitiser challenge than the ascospore-containing populations.