Modeling the Growth of Listeria monocytogenes Isolates in Low-Temperature Environments

Abstract

The research explored the growth dynamics of Listeria monocytogenes at 4°C and 7°C using five microbial growth models, identifying significant variability in growth rates among isolates. The Spline model exhibited greater variability and less reliability, leading to the selection of average growth rates from the other four models for further analysis. The study found that isolates from seafood environments exhibited higher growth rates at both temperatures compared to those from meat and mixed food environments. Moreover, the growth rate of isolates from vegetables increased more rapidly when the temperature was raised from 4°C to 7°C, compared to isolates from clinical settings, highlighting the influence of environmental factors on the growth behavior of L. monocytogenes in cold environments.