Miller, Fátima A.Gil, Maria M.Brandão, Teresa R. S.Teixeira, PaulaSilva, Cristina L.M.2010-10-072010-10-072009"Food Control". ISSN 0956-7135. 20: 12 (2009) 1151–1157http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/2694Listeria innocua inactivation was studied within the temperature range 52.5–65.0 ºC, comparing two different strains (10528 and 2030c) and two growth phases (exponential and stationary). Survival curves may present a sigmoidal behaviour, with an initial shoulder (L), followed by a maximum inactivation rate (kmax) period and a final tailing tendency. A Gompertz-inspired model was used to fit experimental data, and kinetic parameters (L, kmax and tail) were estimated by non-linear regression analysis. The influence of temperature, growth phase and strain on kinetic parameters was studied using a 23 factorial experimental design. Results showed that temperature and growth phase were the most significant variables affecting the kinetic parameters. Listeria thermal inactivation varied from a log-linear tendency till a pronounced sigmoidal behaviour, depending on the studied factors.engListeria innocuaThermal inactivationGrowth phasejournal article