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A mathematical model efficiently gives an indication of growth, and propionate and acetate production by a Pectinatus species during beer spoilage. This allows for the estimation of the risk of contamination of beer in a brewery process. The optimal conditions for the growth rate as estimated from the model are a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, a pH of 6.5 and 0% ethanol concentration. The optimal conditions for cell density and cell yield are 32 degree Celsius, a pH of 6.0 and 1% ethanol. Ethanol concentrations above 8% and pH values below 4.0 are unfavourable for growth.

The effect of water activity (a(sub w)) on the heat resistance of Bacillus cereus spores (decimal reduction time or D) was studied. A linear relationship between log D and 1 - a(sub w) was observed. The combined influences of temperature, pH and water activity were then investigated and a four parameter model employed to fit the data. Interactions between the parameters were seen but they accounted for less than 2.4% of the total variation and were not considered in the model.

The generalized linear-Bigelow model extends the concept of standard decimal reduction time Dt* into a D-value which is also connected with a reference pH. This research proposed a generalized linear-Bigelow model to describe the effects of temperature and pH on spore heat resistance. The model was tested by applying three published sets of data. This model does not take account of interactions between temperature and pH, but its goodness of fit is proof of its robustness.

A new primary model, based on two mixed Weibull distributions of cell resistance is proposed to describe the survival curves and the change in the pattern with the modifications of resistance of two assumed subpopulations of bacteria. The parameters of the model were stable and showed consistent evolution according to the initial physiological state of the bacterial population.

Aims To quantify and model the combined effects of temperature ( T) (10-40°C), water activity ( aw) (0·993-0·818) and CO2 concentration (9·4-55·1%, v/v) on the growth rate of Aspergillus niger and Alternaria alternata that cause spoilage during the storage and packaging of dates. Methods and Results The effects of environmental factors were studied using the γ-concept. Cardinal models were used to quantify the effect of studied environmental factors on the growth rates. Firstly, the cardinal parameters were estimated independently from experiments carried out on potato dextrose agar using a monofactorial design. Secondly, model performance evaluation was conducted on pasteurized date paste. The boundary between growth and no-growth was predicted using a deterministic approach. Aspergillus niger displayed a faster growth rate and higher tolerance to low aw than Al. alternata, which in turn proved more resistant to CO2 concentration. Minimal cardinal parameters of T and aw were lower than those reported in the literature. Conclusions The combination of the aw and CO2 effects significantly affected As. niger and Al. alternata growth. The γ-concept model overestimated growth rates, however, it is optimistic and provides somewhat conservative predictions. Significance and Impact of the Study The developed model provides a decision support tool for the choice of the date fruit conservation mode (refrigeration, drying, modified atmospheric packaging or their combination) using T, aw and CO2 as environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Several factorial models extending the famous Bigelow model to describe the influence of the heating and recovery pH and a w conditions on bacterial heat resistance have been developed. These models can be associated in an overall multifactorial model describing the influences of heating and recovery conditions on D values. For Bacillus cereus strain ADQP 407 the model parameters characterising the environmental factor influences (pH, Temperature, a w) were evaluated. Determination of bacterial heat resistance in cream chocolate have been realised to validate these parameter values and to evaluate the level of the influence of food texture or different compounds not taken account of in the model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Production and world consumption of spices are constantly increasing. Although the antimicrobial properties of some spices are well documented, their use in the agri-food industry is also responsible for microbial contamination and spoilage. Bacterial spores introduced by spices can withstand different preparation processes, particularly thermal treatments, leading to food alterations during storage. This review brings together data from the literature about the prevalence and concentrations of spore-forming bacteria in all commercially available spices. The sporeformers found in spices belong mainly to the genera Bacillus and Clostridium. Such contaminations are very common and sometimes reach high levels, as in pepper and turmeric. Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus cereus are the most frequently detected species. Studying the harvesting, processing, and storage procedures for spices provides elements to explain why high prevalence and concentrations are observed. Spices are mostly produced in developing countries on small farms using traditional production methods. Spices become contaminated by bacterial spores in two main ways: by contact with soil during harvesting or drying, as for pepper, or by cross-contamination during the water-cooking step, as for turmeric. From these observations, we propose some recommendations. Different methods that can be used to eliminate bacterial spores from spices are presented indicating their efficiency and the limitations of their use., (© 2020 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

The heat resistance of the bacterial spores of Moorella thermoacetica, Clostridium sporogenes, Geobacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus coagulans was determined over a wide range of temperatures using the capillary method and thermoresistometer Mastia. The results showed that the two experimental methods gave similar heat resistance values excepted for Geobacillus stearothermophilus. The effect of temperature on thermal resistance was evaluated using the Arrhenius and Bigelow models. The fit of the heat sensitivity parameters of the Arrhenius and Bigelow models on the heat resistance parameter values obtained over a wide temperature range was equally good. Despite the apparent mathematical incompatibility of the two equations, it is recognized that they yield the same goodness of fit. This paper finds a mathematical reason for this convergence and explains why inside a temperature range of at least 100 °C, no significant difference in the quality of fit between these two models can be found., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Haemolymph-associated microbiota of marine bivalves was explored for antibacterial activity against important aquaculture pathogens. A collection of 843 strains were cultured from the haemolymph of four bivalve species (Crassostrea gigas, Mytilus edulis, Pecten maximus and Tapes rhomboides) collected by deep-sea diving in the Glenan Archipelago (France). Cell-free culture supernatants were investigated for antibacterial activity using the well-diffusion assay. About 3% of haemolymph-associated cultivable bacteria displayed antibacterial activity toward Gram-negative pathogens. Among the active bacteria, Pseudoalteromonas strains exhibited the highest antibacterial activity. The cell-free culture supernatant of one of them, named hCg-51, was able to inhibit the growth of bacterial pathogens even after drastic dilution (1 : 1024). Hemocyte survival was not significantly altered in the presence of the haemolymph-associated strains assayed. Moreover, a dose-dependent beneficial effect on hemocyte survival rates was observed with the hCg-51 strain. These results suggest that haemolymph microbiota may participate in bivalve protection and therefore confer a health benefit on the host. As a result, the results highlight bivalve haemolymph microbiota as a promising novel source for aquaculture probiotics. This work also gives a first insight into the contribution of the haemolymph-associated microbiota as part of the bivalve 'hologenome'., (© 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microorganisms are able to adapt to different environments and evolve rapidly, allowing them to cope with their new environments. Such adaptive response and associated protections toward other lethal stresses, is a crucial survival strategy for a wide spectrum of microorganisms, including food spoilage bacteria, pathogens, and organisms used in functional food applications. The growing demand for minimal processed food yields to an increasing use of combination of hurdles or mild preservation factors in the food industry. A commonly used hurdle is low pH which allows the decrease in bacterial growth rate but also the inactivation of pathogens or spoilage microorganisms. Bacillus cereus is a well-known food-borne pathogen leading to economical and safety issues in food industry. Because survival mechanisms implemented will allow bacteria to cope with environmental changes, it is important to provide understanding of B. cereus stress response. Thus this review deals with the adaptive traits of B. cereus cells facing to acid stress conditions. The acid stress response of B. cereus could be divided into four groups (i) general stress response (ii) pH homeostasis, (iii) metabolic modifications and alkali production and (iv) secondary oxidative stress response. This current knowledge may be useful to understand how B. cereus cells may cope to acid environment such as encountered in food products and thus to find some molecular biomarkers of the bacterial behavior. These biomarkers could be furthermore used to develop new microbial behavior prediction tools which can provide insights into underlying molecular physiological states which govern the behavior of microorganisms and thus opening the avenue toward the detection of stress adaptive behavior at an early stage and the control of stress-induced resistance throughout the food chain.

Sporulation niches in the food chain are considered as a source of hazard and are not clearly identified. Determining the sporulation environmental boundaries could contribute to identify potential sporulation niches. Spore formation was determined in a Sporulation Mineral Buffer. The effect of incubation temperature, pH and water activity on time to one spore per mL, maximum sporulation rate and final spore concentration was investigated for a Bacillus weihenstephanensis and a Bacillus licheniformis strain. Sporulation boundaries of B. weihenstephanensis and of B. licheniformis were similar to, or included within, the range of temperatures, pH and water activities supporting growth. For instance, sporulation boundaries of B. weihenstephanensis were evaluated at 5°C, 35°C, pH 5.2 and a(w) 0.960 while growth boundaries were observed at 5°C, 37°C, pH 4.9 and a(w) 0.950. Optimum spore formation was determined at 30°C pH 7.2 for B. weihenstephanensis and at 45°C pH 7.2 for B. licheniformis. Lower temperatures and pH delayed the sporulation process. For instance, the time to one spore per mL was tenfold longer when sporulation occurred at 10°C and 20°C, for each strain respectively, than at optimum sporulation temperature. The relative effect of temperature and pH on sporulation rates and on growth rates is similar. This work suggests that the influence of environmental factors on the quantitative changes in sporulation boundaries and rates was similar to their influence on changes in growth rate., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Growth, growth boundary and inactivation models have been extensively developed in predictive microbiology and are commonly applied in food research nowadays. Few studies though report the development of models which encompass all three areas together. A tiered modelling approach, based on the Gamma hypothesis, is proposed here to predict the behaviour of Listeria. Datasets of Listeria spp. behaviour in laboratory media, meat, dairy, seafood products and vegetables were collected from literature, unpublished sources and from the databases ComBase and Sym'Previus. The explanatory factors were temperature, pH, water activity, lactic and sorbic acids. For the growth part, 697 growth kinetic datasets were fitted. The estimated growth rates and 2021 additional growth primary datasets were used to fit the secondary growth models. In a second step, the fitted model was used to predict the growth/no-growth boundary. For the inactivation modelling phase, 535 inactivation curves were used. Gamma models with and without interactions between the explanatory factors were used for the growth and boundary models. The correct prediction percentage (predicted growth when growth is observed+predicted inactivation when inactivation is observed) varied from 62% to 81% for the models without interactions, and from 85% to 87% for the models with interactions. The median error for the predicted population size was less than 0.34 log(10)(CFU/mL) for all models. The kinetics of inactivation were fitted with modified Weibull primary models and the estimated bacterial resistance was then modelled as a function of the explanatory factors. The error for the predicted microbial population size was less than 0.71 log(10)(CFU/mL) with a median value of less than 0.21 for all foods. The model enables the quantification of the increase or decrease in the bacterial population for a given formulation or storage condition. It might also be used to optimise a food formulation or storage condition in the case of a targeted increase or decrease of the bacterial population., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Heat resistance of spores is affected by many factors such as temperature, pH, water activity (aw) and others. Previous studies have reported that free fatty acids can affect the germination and growth of bacterial spores. In this study, we investigated the influence of free fatty acids in heating medium or in recovery medium on the heat resistance of spores of Bacillus cereus NTCC 11145 and Clostridium sporogenes Pasteur 79.3. Four free fatty acids were studied: palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic and oleic acids. During thermal treatments, the impact of these FFA in heating media was generally low, but the presence of free fatty acids in the recovery medium highly decreases bacterial spore apparent heat resistance, particularly with unsaturated fatty acids. A mathematical model was developed to describe and quantify the influence of free fatty acids in recovery media on the D-values. The z'(FFA) parameter values which quantify the impact of free fatty acids were determined. The variation of this parameter value according to the free fatty acid type was compared with MIC value variation given in the literature. The model enables the decrease in D-values in the presence of free fatty acids to be estimated. The high concentrations of free fatty acids in liver or canned duck may explain the microbial stability with low sterilization values applied., (2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)