Modelling of the microbiological quality of meat
article
An alternative to challenge tests for the assessment of the shelf-life of food products is predictive microbiology, the development of mathematical models that describe the influence of predominant controlling factors (such as temperature, water activity and pH) on the lag phase and the growth rats of microorganisms. In this paper, modifications of the square-root model are tested to predict the relationship between growth rate and temperature, and between lag phase and temperature, of spoilage organisms growing in a vacuum-packed, cooked meat product and on aerobically packed fresh meat. The emphasis of the study was on examining the growth behaviour of the spoilage flora in the meat product, and on fresh meat rather than in liquid media. Results show that the square-root model in its modified forms can indeed be used to describe the effect of storage temperature on the growth rate and the lag phase of the organisms involved. Although predictions of the models have to be validated in practical situations, predictive microbiology has been shown to be a promising technique for the estimation of a product's shelf-life and the impact of any modification of a product's formulation on both its safety and its shelf-life. © 1993.
TNO Identifier
81457
ISSN
09567135
Source
Food Control, 4(4), pp. 216-221.
Pages
216-221
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