Predictive modelling of Enterobacter sakazakii inactivation in bovine milk during high-temperature short-time pasteurization

• Published in: Food research international 1999-01, Vol.32 (5), p.375-379
• Main Authors: Nazarowec-White, M., McKellar, R.C., Piyasena, P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cronobacter sakazakii; Enterobacter sakazakii; Food industries; Food microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; heat treatment; High-temperature short-time; inactivation; milk; Milk and cheese industries. Ice creams; Pasteurization; prediction
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/S0963-9969(99)00100-3

A linear model was derived to describe the thermal inactivation of Enterobacter sakazakii in bovine whole milk in a high-temperature short-time pilot scale pasteurizer. Integrated lethal effect, or pasteurization effect (PE), was obtained by converting times at different temperatures in the various sections of the pasteurizer to the equivalent time at the reference temperature (72°C). PE was then related, by a simple linear function, to the log 10 of the % viable counts with a power transformation of the PE values to improve linear fit. R 2 values for the three E. sakazakii trials varied from 0.941 to 0.959. Inter-trial variation was incorporated into the model using @RISK™ simulation software, and a comparison between models for E. sakazakii and Listeria monocytogenes revealed that L. monocytogenes was more heat-resistant. Output from simulations confirmed that treatment at 68°C for 16 s can ensure (at the 1st percentile) a 5-log reduction of E. sakazakii.