Guidelines for the design of (optimal) isothermal inactivation experiments

Publication date: Available online 8 October 2019Source: Food Research InternationalAuthor(s): Jose Lucas Peñalver-Soto, Alberto Garre, Arturo Esnoz, Pablo S. Fernández, Jose A. EgeaAbstractKinetic models are nowadays a basic tool to ensure food safety. Most models used in predictive microbiology have model parameters, whose precision is crucial to provide meaningful predictions. Kinetic parameters are usually estimated based on experimental data, where the experimental design can have a great impact on the precision of the estimates. In this sense, Optimal Experiment Design (OED) applies tools from optimization and information theory to identify the most informative experiment under a set of constrains (e.g. mathematical model, number of samples,etc). In this work, we develop a methodology for the design of optimal isothermal inactivation experiments. We consider the two dimensions of the design space (time and temperature), as well as a temperature-dependent maximum duration of the experiment. Functions for its application have been included in the bioOED R package.We identify design patterns that remain optimum regardless of the number of sampling points for three inactivation models (Bigelow, Mafart and Peleg) and three model microorganisms (Escherichia coli, Salmonella Senftemberg and Bacillus coagulans). Samples at extreme temperatures and close to the maximum duration of the experiment are the most informative. Moreover, the Mafart and Peleg models require some sampl...

Source: Food Research International - October 19, 2019 Category: Food Science Source Type: research