MODELAGEM MATEMÁTICA DO CRESCIMENTO DE Brochothrix thermosphacta EM PRESUNTO COZIDO, FATIADO E EMBALADO A VÁCUO

Abstract

Objective: To model the growth of Brochothrix thermosphacta in vacuum-packed sliced cooked ham (SCH) under different isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. Method: Growth data of B. thermosphacta in SCH stored at temperatures between 4 and 12°C were acquired from Hwang and Sheen's work (2011), available in the Combase database, and the Baranyi and Roberts model was fitted to the growth curves. Results: It can be stated that the model performed well in describing the growth of B. thermosphacta in SCH at the five evaluated temperatures, with R2 values ≥ 0.99 and Standard Errors of the fits close to zero. The square root model was selected to generate growth predictions under temperature oscillation conditions, highlighting the importance of maintaining the cold chain, as even slight changes in these conditions can lead to a significant increase in the growth of deteriorating microorganisms. Conclusion: It is concluded that the application of predictive models and user-friendly software can assist meat industries in determining the shelf life of food products without the need for conducting numerous experiments to determine product quality and safety.