ABSTRACT
The lag time of Listeria monocytogenes growing under suboptimal conditions (low nutrient concentrations, pH 6, and 6.5 degrees C) was extended when the inoculum was severely stressed by starvation and the inoculum size was very small. Predictive microbiology should deal with bacterial stress and stochastic approaches to improve its value for the agro-food industry.
Subject(s)
Food Microbiology , Listeria monocytogenes/growth & development , Colony Count, Microbial , Culture Media , Food Handling , Forecasting , Models, Biological , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The growth potential of Listeria monocytogenes was evaluated at low temperature in sterilized milk and raw dairy products. Sterilized and raw milk were inoculated with different strains of L. monocytogenes in 2 physiological states and at various contamination levels. Raw cheese was naturally contaminated with Listeria spp. The results suggest that some biological factors influence the growth capacity of L monocytogenes in dairy products. Significant strain effect was observed at low temperature whatever the growth medium. By contrast, no inoculum effect was observed in the 3 dairy products. In raw matrixes, growth of L. monocytogenes was influenced greatly by bacterial interactions and physiological state of inoculum cells.
