The concern about microbiological safety of low-moisture foods is relatively new comparing to the high-moisture products. Only in recent decade, the legal requirements for such foods became more stringent, some industrial guidelines were developed and large amount of research projects related to this topic were undertaken. As the understanding of factors influencing microbial survival in dry conditions is advancing, it is still challenging to transfer this knowledge to the industrial applications. The seminar will focus on recent developments in inactivation technologies for  low-moisture foods, as well as their main limitations and solutions for industrialization. Additionally, current advances in kill step validation for dry foods will be discussed, with the main focus on the use of mathematical models as a validation tool. In this symposium, it will be also explained  how product types and environmental factors affect the survival and inactivation of pathogens in low-water activity products, and how these issues can be considered  in an industrial process.

Presentations