Dynamic approach for assessing food quality and safety characteristics: the case of processed foods

Thermal processes applied to foods focus on destruction of target microorganisms. Besides these processes often occur under time-varying temperature environments, microbial inactivation is commonly assessed under isothermal conditions. The development of mathematical models that describe microbial kinetics in dynamic conditions is important for processes design. Another process that occurs under time-varying temperature conditions is frozen storage of foods.Thermal inactivation of Listeria innocua (surrogate of L. monocytogenes) in parsley, and quality degradation of vegetables under frozen conditions were used as case-studies.Developed models that include timetemperature effects accurately described inactivation/degradation of the characteristics analyzed both under isothermal and dynamic conditions.