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Table 2 Criteria and methods often proposed to characterize a strain (required for both novel food and health claim regulations)

From: A proposed framework for an appropriate evaluation scheme for microorganisms as novel foods with a health claim in Europe

Taxonomic level

Biological assignment

Methods

Propositions for improvement

Species

Phenotypic

GRAM staining

 
  

Morphologic description

The physiology of the bacterium in environments from production to consumption should be extensively characterized

  

Analytical profile identification (API)

 
 

Genotypic

16S rRNA sequencing [15,33]

Full genome sequencing should be systematically provided

  

MLST (Multi Locus Sequence Typing)

 

Strain

Metabolic

Analytical profile identification (API)

 
 

Genotypic

Genome sequencing [15]: Identification of virulence genes

 
  

Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) [20]: evaluation of genetic stability [58]

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