title: Mathematics of predictive food microbiology.
abstract: Commonly encountered problems related to modelling bacterial growth in food are analysed from a mathematical point of view. Modelling techniques and terms, some misused, are discussed and an attempt is made to clarify how, and under what conditions, they may be used. A theoretical framework is given to provide a basis in which mathematical models having been used in predictive microbiology can be embedded. By using several simplifying idealizations as a compromise between the complexity of the biological system and the available data, a practically usable model becomes available.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Research, Reading Laboratory, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baranyi
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D008954:Models, Biological