Modeling the growth behavior of Salmonella spp. in grated carrots inoculated with different inoculum levels stored at various temperatures

The consumption of fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, has increased for the last decades for a healthy life and an adequate diet, but concerns regarding the microbial safety of them have been raised. The present study was conducted to develop predictive models for Salmonella spp. in grated carrots. The results showed that Salmonella spp. did not display growth at 5°C, but it grew in grated carrots at other temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, and 37°C) for both inoculum levels. Also, the inoculum levels affected the growth of this pathogen in grated carrots when the storage temperatures ranged from 15 to 25°C. The theoretical minimum temperatures calculated using the Huang model were 3.48 and 5.79°C for inoculum levels of 101 and 102 CFU/g, respectively. The primary and secondary models performed well in terms of agreement between experimental and estimated values. Furthermore, compared to the Ratkowsky model, the theoretical minimum temperature was given a more reasonable value using the Huang model. The models developed in the present study will be a useful input for future quantitative microbial risk assessment to appraise the proliferation of Salmonella spp. in grated carrots throughout the production process, storage, and distribution.