Predictive microbiology, from laboratory to food industry.

Predictive microbiology can be divided into two groups of models, named primary and secondary models. Primary models describe the evolution of the bacterial population with time. These models use parameters which may vary as the environmental factors change. Secondary models describe how those parameters vary with the environmental factors. Sym'Previus meets the French expertise in Predictive Microbiology of major food companies, technical centres and public research institutes. This project aims at proposing an assistance in the managing of the food safety. It is composed from two main softwares. Firstly, a database where information on the behaviour of microorganisms in/on foods and natural contamination of foods are structured. A query system, called MIEL, specifically developed for the database, allows to formulate specific interrogation with a specific selection of food and microorganisms. Secondly, a user-friendly software simulates the growth of microorganisms in food matrix. Sym'Previus is a simple access to predictive microbiology for food companies. At the present time, the software describes the effects of temperature, pH and water activity on bacteria growth in a range of food commodities, such as cereals, egg products, dairy products, meat... Sym'Previus is available on www.symprevius.org.