Preparation and validation of a growth model for Bacillus cereus: the effects of temperature, pH, sodium chloride and carbon dioxide

The growth responses of a vegetative inoculum of Bacillus cereus as influenced by varying conditions of temperature, pH value and sodium chloride concentration (% w/v) and carbon dioxide concentration (% v/v) were determined in laboratory medium. Growth curves in concentrations of NaCl in the range 0.5–10.5% (w/v), pH values in the range 4.5–7.0, CO₂ concentrations in the range 10–80% (v/v) and storage temperatures from 10 °C to 30 °C were fitted using the regime of Baranyi et al. (1993). A response surface model was prepared and predictions of doubling time, growth rate, lag time and time to 1000-fold increase could be obtained for any set of conditions within the matrix studied. This model is included in Food MicroModel Version 1. Predicted doubling times from the model were compared to observed doubling times in the literature and the model was found to give realistic estimates of doubling time for a range of foods including milk, meat and poultry and carbohydrate-based products.