TABLE 5.
Thermal inactivation of nonproteolytic C. botulinum spores based on the measured temperatures during the processing of 16 sous vide products as predicted by FMM and safe-storage times as predicted by FMM and PMP
| Product no. (recommended shelf life in days) | Predicted reduction in amt of spores (log units) | Lag time for growth by FMM (days)a
|
Time to turbidity by PMP (days) for initial no. of nonproteolytic C. botulinum bacteria before thermal processing (log CFU/kg)
|
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5°C | 8°C | 5°C
|
8°C
|
||||
| 2.0 | 5.3 | 2.0 | 5.3 | ||||
| 1 (14) | NEb | 7 | 3 | 32 | <4.4c | 18 | <2.4c |
| 2 (30) | 1.4 | 9 | 3 | >42d | 13 | 23 | 7 |
| 3 (21) | >12.0 | 9 | 3 | >90 | >90 | >90 | >90 |
| 4 (14) | 1.6 | 9 | 3 | >42d | 15 | 22 | 9 |
| 5 (10) | NE | 13 | 5 | >38d | <4.0c | 9 | <2.3c |
| 6 (30) | NE | 10 | 4 | >36d | <4.0c | 21 | <2.2c |
| 7 (9) | NE | 19 | 8 | >42d | <4.4c | 25 | <2.5c |
| 8 (21) | NE | 12 | 5 | 42 | <6.2c | 24 | <3.5c |
| 9 (21) | >12.0 | 7 | 3 | >90 | >90 | >90 | >90 |
| 10 (21) | 0.5 | 9 | 4 | >41d | 48 | 24 | 3 |
| 11 (21) | 2.2 | 13 | 5 | >90 | 22 | >90 | 13 |
| 12 (21) | >12.0 | 7 | 3 | >90 | >90 | >90 | >90 |
| 13 (21) | NE | >90 | 60 | >52d | <7.3c | 44 | <4.5c |
| 14 (30) | 6.1 | >90 | >69 | >90 | >90 | >90 | >90 |
| 15 (21) | >12.0 | 21 | 15 | >90 | >90 | >90 | >90 |
| 16 (21) | 3.8 | >90 | >65 | >90 | >50d | >90 | 43 |
a
The initial number of nonproteolytic C. botulinum bacteria before thermal processing was 5.3 log CFU/kg.
b
NE, no effect; processing temperature was below the limits of the model.
c
The initial number of organisms was outside the limits of the model.
d
The result was extrapolated from the probability curve generated by the model.