title: Mathematical modelling of growth of Listeria  monocytogenes in raw chilled pork.
abstract: The aim of this study was to analyse the growth kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes in naturally contaminated chilled pork. A cocktail of 26 meat-borne L. monocytogenes was inoculated to raw or sterile chilled pork to observe its growth at 4, 10, 16, 22 and 28°C respectively. The growth data were fitted by the Baranyi model and Ratkowsky square-root model. Results showed that the Baranyi model and Ratkowsky square-root model could describe the growth characteristics of L. monocytogenes at different temperatures reasonably well in raw chilled pork (1·0 ≤ Bf ≤ Af ≤ 1·1). Compared with the growth of L. monocytogenes in sterile chilled pork, the background microflora had no impact on the growth parameters of L. monocytogenes, except for the lag phase at low temperature storage. The microbial predictive models developed in this study can be used to predict the growth of L. monocytogenes during natural spoilage, and construct quantitative risk assessments in chilled pork.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study simulated the actual growth of Listeria monocytogenes in chilled pork to the maximum extent, and described its growth characteristics of L. monocytogenes during natural spoilage. This study showed that the background microflora had no impact on the growth parameters of L. monocytogenes, except for the lag phase at low temperature storage. The models developed in this study can be used to predict the growth of L. monocytogenes during refrigerated storage.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production and Processing, Quality and Safety Control, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production and Processing, Quality and Safety Control, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production and Processing, Quality and Safety Control, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production and Processing, Quality and Safety Control, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production and Processing, Quality and Safety Control, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Meat Production and Processing, Quality and Safety Control, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005516:Food Microbiology; D007700:Kinetics; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000254:growth & development*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D000069466:Red Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D013552:Swine
keywords: 
  Listeria monocytogenes
  ; background microflora; chilled pork; growth characteristics; predictive model