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Submitted to: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 11/4/2002 Publication Date: 11/4/2002 Citation: HUANG, L. ESTIMATATION OF GROWTH OF CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS IN COOKED BEEF UNDER FLUCTUATING TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS. APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY. 2002. V. 20. P. 549-559. Interpretive Summary: The gastroenteritis caused by a common spore-forming foodborne pathogen, Clostridium perfringens, is a serious health concern in the United States. The outbreaks associated with this organism are primarily linked to gross temperature abuse after cooking. Examples of temperature abuse may include temperature fluctuations throughout the chain of distribution, storage, retail, and consumption. This research developed and validated a new methodology to estimate the growth of C. Perfringens in cooked ground beef under fluctuating temperature conditions. Experimental results revealed that the accuracy of the new method was generally within 1.0 log10(CFU/g). The new methodology, if adopted by the food industry and regulatory agencies, may become a useful tool to evaluate the impact of temperature fluctuation on the microbial safety of C. Perfringens in meat products. Technical Abstract: A new concept for estimating the bacterial growth under temperature fluctuations was hypothesized and validated using Clostridium perfringens as a test organism. This new methodology was based on the Gompertz models to calculate the equivalent growth times under different temperatures, and estimated the bacterial population under temperature fluctuations. The new concept was tested in ground beef maintained under fluctuating temperature conditions. The estimation accuracy of this methodology was generally within 1.0 log10(CFU/g). Although the methodology was based on C. perfringens, it can potentially be applied to other foodborne pathogens to predict the bacterial growth under temperature fluctuations. |
