Sweetened Condensed Milk: I. Bacterial Thickening

Summary The organism causing thickening in condensed milk is a coccus, which is capable of inverting and destroying sucrose, and producing considerable quantities of acid. It is able to grow in fairly high sucrose concentrations, though its growth is checked if the concentration is high enough. It is able to withstand a much higher concentration of sugar when it is in an invigorated condition, also, at temperatures above normal room temperatures it is particularly active. It has been isolated from factory equipment and probably it is at this point that the product is contaminated.