Sporeforming bacteria are a significant concern for the international dairy industry. Spores present in milk survive
heat treatments and can persist during downstream processing. If they are present in sufficient numbers in dairy
products they can cause spoilage or lead to illness as a result of toxin production. While many reviews have
highlighted the threat posed by spores of aerobic bacteria to the dairy industry, few have focused on problems
caused by the array of different species of anaerobic sporeformers (Clostridium and related genera) that can be
found in milk. This is despite of the fact that members of these bacteria are found throughout the dairy farm environment,
and can be toxigenic, neurotoxigenic or spoilage bacteria. Thismakes the possible presence of Clostridium
and related spores in bulk tank milk (BTM) important from both a financial and a public health perspective. In this
review dairy associated anaerobic sporefromers are assessed from a number of perspectives. This includes the taxonomy
of this group of bacteria, the important subgroup of this genus the “sulphite reducing clostridia” (SRC), how
these bacteria are detected in milk products, the epidemiological data regarding pathogenic species and strains
within the SRC group as well as the influence of farming practices on the presence of SRC in BTM.