Four models (Baranyi, modified Gompertz, log-logistic and Weibull models) were applied to examine the performance of thermosonication (TS) and formic acid (FA), individually and in combination, at three temperatures (40, 50, and 60 °C) for the inactivation of pathogens inoculated on persimmon. Results indicated that all nonlinear kinetic models provided a good fit to data; however, the Baranyi showed the best performance in fitting data. The combined treatment of FA and TS had a higher negative impact on the microbial population compared to each treatment alone. The highest lethal impact was observed at 60 °C and in TS-3%FA treatment, which reduced the initial population of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes (8.1 log CFU/mL) to 2.2, 1.6, and 1.3 log CFU/mL, respectively. Hence, the obtained models can be used to predict the inactivation of pathogens in a food model subjected to the combined treatment of thermosonication and FA.
Keywords: Thermosonicaton; food model; formic acid; kinetic models; pathogenic bacteria.