Modelling the inactivation, survival and growth of Salmonella enterica under osmotic stress considering inoculum phase and serotype

Aims This study evaluated the behaviour of the Salmonella enterica serotypes in osmotically stressful BHI broth (0.940 <= a(w) <= 0.960), assessing inoculum from two stages of the bacterial life cycle (exponential and stationary) and two temperatures (25 degrees C and 35 degrees C). Methods and Results Four S. enterica serotypes (Typhimurium, Enteritidis, Heidelberg and Minnesota) were grown in stressful BHI at 25 degrees C. A mathematical model was proposed for describing the total microbial count as the sum of two subpopulations, inactivating and surviving-then-growing. When submitted to a(w) of 0.950 and 0.960, all strains showed a decreased count, followed by a period of unchanged count and then exponential growth (Phoenix Phenomenon). Strains inoculated at a(w) = 0.940 and 0.945 showed inactivation kinetics only. Cells cultivated at 25 degrees C and inoculated from the exponential phase were the most reactive to the osmotic stress, showing a higher initial population reduction and shorter adaptation period. The proposed model described the inactivation data and the Phoenix Phenomenon accurately. Conclusions The results quantified the complex response of S. enterica to the osmotic environment in detail, depending on the inoculum characteristic and serotype evaluated. Significance and impact of study Quantifying these differences is truly relevant to food safety and improves risk analysis.