Use of Frequency Distribution Functions to Establish Safe Conditions in Relation to the Foodborne Pathogen Bacillus cereus** (original) (raw)

2005

Abstract

ABSTRACT Summary Minimal processing implementation greatly depends on a detailed knowledge of the effects of preservation factors and their combinations on the spoilage and foodborne pa- thogenic microorganisms. The effectiveness of mild preservation conditions will become increasingly dependent on a more stochastic approach linking microbial physiological fac- tors with product preservation factors. In this study, the validity of frequency distributions to efficiently describe the inactivation and growth of Bacillus cereus in the presence of natu- ral antimicrobials (essential oils) has been studied. For this purpose, vegetative cells were exposed to 0.6 mM of thymol or cymene, obtaining survival curves that were best de- scribed by the distribution of Weibull, since a tailing effect was observed. B. cereus was also exposed in a growth medium to a low concentration (0.1 mM) of both antimicrobials, separately or combined, and the lag times obtained were fitted to a normal distribution, which allowed a description of dispersion of the start of growth. This allowed a more effi- cient evaluation of the experimental data to establish safe processing conditions according to accurate parameters and their implementation in risk assessment.

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