Stochastic simulation techniques for temperature induced microbial growth and inactivation kinetics during food processing

The use of deterministic and stochastic modelling and simulation techniques for temperature induced microbial growth and inactivation during food processing is described and illustrated with some applications. In a first application the heat transfer and thermal inactivation of vegetative Lactobacillus cells during the heating of lasagna in a university restaurant has been simulated. In a second example the effect of a stochastic varying ambient temperature in a chill cabinet on the bacterial growth has been simulated