Acid resistance of twelve strains of Enterobacter sakazakii, and the impact of habituating the cells to an acidic environment

The inherent acid resistance of stationary-phase cells of Enterobacter sakazakii is determined and the possibility of increasing this resistance by acid habituation is examined. The 12 strains of the microorganism studied exhibit marked diversity in acid resistance, and the acid resistance of only some strains of Enterobacter sakazakii is enhanced by habituating the cells to an acidic environment, with no apparent relationship between the acid resistance of individual strains and their thermal resistance.