Bacteria in food packaging paper and board

The bacteria of food packaging paper and board were studied. Most of the aerobic strains were spore-formers; members of the genus Bacillus with B. cereus group ( B. cereus, B. mycoides, B. thuringiensis ), B. polymyxa group ( B. polymyxa, B. circulans, B. macerans, B. pabuli ), B. brevis and B. licheniformis predominated. The main source of spore-forming bacteria in paper and board was the broke (rejected paper of board, which is repulped and recycled into the process). Gram-negative bacteria were rare in paper and board in spite of their abundance in the stock. A strain of B. pumilus forming clumping, hairy spores may be of significance in aseptic packaging.