The aim of this study was to examine whether the classical biochemical differentiation methods in relation to clostridial analysis can be replaced by newer molecular biological techniques such as real-time PCR and by MALDI-TOF MS. For this purpose, 118 potentially pathogenic Clostridium spp. isolates were compared at the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority using the above mentioned methods. On the basis of the obtained results a recommendation concerning the general
approach to the detection of Clostridium spp. in the food industry has been elaborated