A re-evaluation of the taxonomic position of five strains, one assigned to Cronobacter sakazakii (strain 1330(T), isolated from spiced meat purchased in Slovakia), two previously assigned to Cronobacter genomospecies 1 (strains NCTC 9529(T) and 731, isolated from water and a leg infection, respectively) and two previously assigned to Cronobacter turicensis (strains 96 and 1435, isolated from onion powder and rye flour, respectively) was carried out. The analysis included phenotypic characterization, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) of seven housekeeping genes (atpD, fusA, glnS, gltB, gyrB, infB, ppsA; 3036 bp). 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and MLSA showed that strain 1330(T) formed an independent phylogenetic lineage in the MLSA, with Cronobacter dublinensis LMG 23823(T) as the closest neighbour. DNA-DNA reassociation and phenotypic analysis revealed that strain 1330(T) represented a novel species, for which the name Cronobacter condimenti sp. nov. is proposed (type strain 1330(T) = CECT 7863(T) = LMG 26250(T)). Strains NCTC 9529(T), 731, 96 and 1435 clustered together within an independent phylogenetic lineage, with C. turicensis LMG 23827(T) as the closest neighbour in the MLSA. DNA-DNA reassociation and phenotypic analysis confirmed that these strains represent a novel species, for which the name Cronobacter universalis sp. nov. is proposed (type strain NCTC 9529(T) = CECT 7864(T) = LMG 26249(T)).
