High carbon dioxide pressure inactivation kinetics of Escherichia coli in broth Original Research Article

The inactivation kinetics of Escherichia coli by high pressure carbon dioxide was investigated. Inactivation rates increased with increasing pressure (25, 50, 75 and 100 atm), temperature, and exposure time. Microbial inactivation followed first order reaction kinetics, with inactivation rates (k) and decimal reduction times (D) that varied from 0·0848 to 0·4717 min−1and from 4·90 to 27·46 min, respectively, at treatment temperatures (20, 30 and 40°C). The inactivation rates of E. coli were described by the apparent activation volume (ΔV*) and a ‘pressure z value’, and they were greatly dependent on both temperature and pressure.