Control of Bacillus cereus in rice cake and food contact surfaces with novel Becedseptimavirus genus phage BCC348 and its partial SPOR domain-containing endolysin LysBCC348

Here, we investigated the novel bacteriophage BCC348 and its endolysin LysBCC348 as alternative antimicrobials against the major foodborne pathogen Bacillus cereus. The Becedseptimavirus genus phage BCC348 effectively inhibited the growth of B. cereus ATCC 27348 with a remarkable burst size of ∼600 PFU/infected cell. The cation-dependent amidase endolysin LysBCC348 lysed the host B. cereus and Listeria monocytogenes and EDTA-treated Gram-negative pathogens. In a cold storage model of Korean rice cake, Garaetteok, BCC348 significantly reduced artificially contaminated B. cereus counts to undetectable levels within 3 days. Treatment with LysBCC348 also achieved a ∼1.3-log reduction of B. cereus and ∼60% biofilm removal from food contact surfaces. Genes related to DNA modification and sporulation prevention in BCC348, as well as a partial sporulation-related repeat (SPOR) domain in LysBCC348, are thought to enhance the efficacy of BCC348 in controlling B. cereus. These results suggest that BCC348 and LysBCC348 are promising alternative candidates to mitigate B. cereus contamination in the food industry.