The Gamma concept approach as a tool to predict fresh produce supporting or not the growth of L. monocytogenes
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Author
Gomez-Galindo, Marisa
Bover-Cid, Sara
Truchado, Pilar
Gil, Maria I.
Allende, Ana
Publication date
2024-04-27ISSN
0740-0020
Abstract
Challenge tests are commonly employed to evaluate the growth behavior of L. monocytogenes in food matrices;
they are known for being expensive and time-consuming. An alternative could be the use of predictive models to
forecast microbial behavior under different conditions. In this study, the growth behavior of L. monocytogenes in
different fresh produce was evaluated using a predictive model based on the Gamma concept considering pH,
water activity (aw), and temperature as input factors. An extensive literature search resulted in a total of 105
research articles selected to collect growth/no growth behavior data of L. monocytogenes. Up to 808
L. monocytogenes behavior values and physicochemical characteristics were extracted for different fruits and
vegetables. The predictive performance of the model as a tool for identifying the produce commodities supporting
the growth of L. monocytogenes was proved by comparing with the experimental data collected from the
literature. The model provided satisfactory predictions on the behavior of L. monocytogenes in vegetables (>80%
agreement with experimental observations). For leafy greens, a 90% agreement was achieved. In contrast, the
performance of the Gamma model was less satisfactory for fruits, as it tends to overestimate the potential of acid
commodities to inhibit the growth of L. monocytogenes.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
663/664 - Food and nutrition. Enology. Oils. Fat
Pages
10
Publisher
Elsevier
Is part of
Food Microbiology
Citation
Gomez-Galindo, Marisa, Cristina Serra-Castelló, Sara Bover‐Cid, Pilar Truchado, Maria I. Gil, and Ana Allende. 2024. “The Gamma concept approach as a tool to predict fresh produce supporting or not the growth of L. Monocytogenes”. Food Microbiology 122 (104554). doi:10.1016/j.fm.2024.104554.
Grant agreement number
MICINN/Programa Estatal para impulsar la investigación científico-técnica y su transferencia/PID2022-141708OB-I00/ES/ /
FEDER/ / /EU/ /
Program
Funcionalitat i Seguretat Alimentària
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2838]
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/