The spores of AAT survive the thermal pasteurization (generally between 80 and 100 °C) employed by the fruit beverage industry, and exhibit very high heat resistance compared with major spoilage microbes of high-acid shelf-stable foods.
AAT spore germination and growth up to a level of 105–106 cfu/mL can occur after pasteurization (cycle of up to 5 days) in high-acid fruit juices when the storage and distribution temperatures are around 40 °C.