Revised model for aerobic growth of Shigella flexneri to extend the validity of predictions at temperatures between 10 and 19°C

Although Shigella is a major foodborne pathogen, its growth in foods has received little attention. Growth of S. flexneri 5348 inoculated into commercially available sterile foods (canned broths, meat, fish, UHT milk, baby foods) was studied at 10 to 37°C. S. flexneri was enumerated by surface-plating on Tryptic Soy Agar and growth curves were fitted by means of the Gompertz equation. Observed growth kinetics values and values calculated using a previously developed response surface model compared favorably for growth at 19 to 37°C, but not at <19°C. To refine the model, additional data were collected for growth at 10 to 19°C. A total of 844 tests in BHI broth, representing 197 variable combinations of temperature (10–37°C), pH (5.0–7.5), NaCl (0.5–5.0%) and NaNO2 (0–1000 ppm) was used for the revised model. The revised model, developed in BHI, gave significantly better agreement of calculated growth kinetics values with those observed in foods at 10 to 19°C.