Predictive modeling of Salmonella Thompson growth in unpasteurized liquid egg products

OBJECTIVE: Salmonella Thompson is a major cause of large-scale foodborne disease outbreaks worldwide; however, research on S. Thompson remains limited. This study investigates the development of a predictive model for the growth of S. Thompson in unpasteurized liquid egg products, such as liquid egg white, liquid egg yolk, and liquid whole egg, to understand the associated health risks. METHODS: Unpasteurized liquid egg products, confirmed to be free of Salmonella spp., were inoculated with S. Thompson and incubated at various temperatures. Growth kinetic parameters were estimated using both primary and secondary predictive models, including the Baranyi and Roberts model and second-order polynomial models. The effects of environmental factors on S. Thompson growth were analyzed to establish a comprehensive risk assessment framework. RESULTS: The growth curves of S. Thompson exhibited a typical bacterial sigmoidal pattern characteristic of bacterial proliferation, with the Baranyi model providing the best fit for describing the growth kinetics. The secondary model accurately predicted the effect of temperature on growth rate, demonstrating that S. Thompson proliferates rapidly under specific environmental conditions. Model validation indicated high accuracy, confirming the reliability of the developed model for risk assessment applications. CONCLUSION: The established predictive model enables quantitative assessment of the growth behavior of S. Thompson in unpasteurized liquid egg products. This model can be used in risk assessment and food safety management strategies to mitigate the risk of foodborne pathogen contamination in the food industry.