Mathematical modelling of the growth rate and lag time for Listeria monocytogenes.

Growth data for Listeria monocytogenes were collected from the literature and a global model built with existing secondary models describing independently the effects of environmental factors on the growth rate and lag time was based on these data. The growth rates calculated with this model were consistent with the published ones but the fit was poor near the limits of growth of the micro-organism. The model was also less accurate to describe the lag time. It seems then that reliable predictions of the growth rate of L. monocytogenes could be obtained in a wide range of growth conditions, but models should take into account interactions between environmental factors. Furthermore, it is necessary to better model the lag phase duration and particularly to model the effect of the history of the inoculum on the subsequent lag time.