Predictive modelling to control microbial hazards in the food processing industry

The dramatic increase of applying mathematical concepts and computational techniques to food microbiology questions has Lead to a discipline called "predictive microbiology. It is focussing mainly on the description of microbial responses to food environments by mathematical models. Its aim is more than the mere collection and computational representation of microbial observations, possibly mathematical interpolation. With the accumulation of data and experience, qualitative features are becoming constraints for the mathematical models to be created, thus moving towards mechanistic modelling. In this development, both mathematical models and microbiology databases have played crucial roles.