COMPARISON OF TDT AND ARRHENIUS MODELS FOR RATE-CONSTANT INACTIVATION PREDICTIONS OF BACILLUS-STEAROTHERMOPHILUS HEATED IN MUSHROOM-ALGINATE SUBSTRATE

Bacillus stearothermophilus spores were heated in a mixture of mushroom puree with alginate, in the temperature range 110-130 degrees C. Both Arrhenius and the traditional Bigelow models were used to describe the dependence of the constant inactivation rate (k) or (D) with the temperature. Results showed that both are very good linear regression models, but a discrepancy between 20 and 45% was found in the constant inactivation rate predicted by both models at high temperatures (125-140 degrees C). Despite this discrepancy, the Arrhenius model was a better predictor of the inactivation rate constants at temperatures of 125 and 130 degrees C for B. stearothermophilus spores heated in an alginate-mushroom mixture.