Growth/no growth interfaces of Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enteritidis in model systems based on water activity, pH, temperature and ethanol concentration

Abstract This study focuses its attention on the boundary between the growth and no growth of three strains of Salmonella enteritidis , Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus in the presence of growth controlling factors such as temperature, pH, water activity (A w ) and ethanol concentration. Preliminarly, the minimal values of pH, A w and temperature, and the maximum ethanol concentrations allowing the growth of the considered micro-organisms were determined. The calculation of these values enabled the use of logistic model to evaluate the growth/no growth boundary for the bacteria in relation to the considered independent variables. The location of the growth/no-growth boundaries for S. enteritidis and Staph. aureus were strongly affected, at the same ethanol concentration, by temperature, pH and A w . Among the considered species, Staph. aureus was endowed with the highest sensitivity to low pH values while B. cereus's growth/no growth interface, was quite unaffected by the combination of the stresses, when the physico–chemical conditions were above the minimum for growth. The effects of temperature, A w and ethanol on the limitation of growth of the considered species were not merely additive. It was possible to identify the combinations of such factors preventing the growth of Salmonella enteritidis , Staph. aureus and B. cereus .

[1]  A. N. Stokes,et al.  Model for bacterial culture growth rate throughout the entire biokinetic temperature range , 1983, Journal of bacteriology.

[2]  N. Bean,et al.  Surveillance for foodborne-disease outbreaks--United States, 1993-1997. , 2000, MMWR. CDC surveillance summaries : Morbidity and mortality weekly report. CDC surveillance summaries.

[3]  J Olley,et al.  Application of predictive microbiology to assure the quality and safety of fish and fish products. , 1992, International journal of food microbiology.

[4]  T. A. Roberts,et al.  A response surface study on the role of some environmental factors affecting the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. , 1995, International journal of food microbiology.

[5]  R. Lanciotti,et al.  Competitive inhibition of Aspergillus flavus by volatile metabolites of Rhizopus arrhizus , 1993 .

[6]  Grahame W. Gould,et al.  Mechanisms of action of food preservation procedures. , 1989 .

[7]  J Y D'Aoust,et al.  Pathogenicity of foodborne Salmonella. , 1991, International journal of food microbiology.

[8]  R. Lanciotti,et al.  Effect of hexanal on the shelf life of fresh apple slices. , 1999, Journal of agricultural and food chemistry.

[9]  G. Parolari,et al.  Effects of temperature, aw and pH on the growth of Bacillus cells and spores: a response surface methodology study. , 1993, International journal of food microbiology.

[10]  R. Lanciotti,et al.  Influence of some selected ions on system water activity and on ethanol vapour pressure and its inhibitory action on Saccharomyces cerevisiae. , 1994, Canadian journal of microbiology.

[11]  M. Nicoli,et al.  Ethanol vapour pressure as a control factor during alcoholic fermentation , 1997 .

[12]  R. Lanciotti,et al.  Antifungal activity of natural volatile compounds in relation to their vapour pressure , 1997 .

[13]  J F Frank,et al.  Defining the growth/no-growth interface for Listeria monocytogenes in Mexican-style cheese based on salt, pH, and moisture content. , 1999, Journal of food protection.

[14]  M. García-Fernández,et al.  Minimum water activity for the growth of Aeromonas hydrophila as affected by strain, temperature and humectant , 1994 .

[15]  Tom Ross,et al.  Predictive Microbiology : Theory and Application , 1993 .

[16]  R. Lanciotti,et al.  Antifungal Activity of Hexanal As Dependent on Its Vapor Pressure , 1997 .

[17]  T. Ross,et al.  Modelling the bacterial growth/no growth interface , 1995 .

[18]  F. Rombouts,et al.  Modeling of the Bacterial Growth Curve , 1990, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[19]  R. C. Whiting,et al.  Development and validation of a dynamic growth model for Listeria monocytogenes in fluid whole milk. , 1999, Journal of food protection.

[20]  T. Ross,et al.  Quantifying the hurdle concept by modelling the bacterial growth/no growth interface. , 2000, International journal of food microbiology.

[21]  Tom Ross,et al.  Comparison of Arrhenius‐type and Bêlehrádek‐type models for prediction of bacterial growth in foods , 1991 .

[22]  R. C. Benedict,et al.  Bacillus cereus : Aerobic Growth Kinetics. , 1993, Journal of food protection.