Modeling the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in cured ready-to-eat processed meat products by manipulation of sodium chloride, sodium diacetate, potassium lactate, and product moisture content.

A central composite second-order response surface design was employed to determine the ine uences of added sodium chloride (0.8 to 3.6%), sodium diacetate (0 to 0.2%), potassium lactate syrup (0.25 to 9.25%), and e nished-product moisture (45.5 to 83.5%) on the predicted growth rate of Listeria monocytogenes in cured ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products. Increased amounts of both sodium diacetate ( P , 0.11) and potassium lactate ( P , 0.001) resulted in signie cant reductions in the growth rate constants of L. monocytogenes. Increased e nished-product moisture ( P , 0.11) signie cantly increased growth rate constants. The ine uence of sodium chloride was not statistically signie cant. The second-order statistical factor for lactate was signie cant ( P , 0.01), but all two-way interactions were not. In general, predicted growth rates exceeded actual growth rates obtained from inoculation studies of four cured RTE meat products (wieners, smoked-cooked ham, light bologna, and cotto salami). The e nal model will be useful to food technologists in determining formulations that will result in e nished cured RTE meat products in which L. monocytogenes is not likely to grow.