Mathematical modeling to predict the bactericidal effect of processed vinegar on Escherichia coli O157:H7

The combined effects of acetic acid, temperature and sodium chloride on Escherichia coli O157:H7 inactivation were examined in processed vinegar. To express their effects, quadratic polynomial models were applied. The logarithm transformation of sodium chloride concentration provided a better fit of the data than the use of a non-transformation value. On the basis of this finding, the polynomial models should be distinguished into two types, i.e. the non-sodium chloride model and the sodium chloride model, both of which had high R2 values (0.988 and 0.978, respectively).