Mathematical Simulation of the Bio-Protective Effect of Lactic Acid Bacteria on Foodborne Pathogens

Microbial interaction models are intended to quantify how much the growth of one population is affected by other microbial population(s). In the food context, these models are usually based on two approaches consisting of, on the one hand, the Jameson effect, which represents competition for nutrients between populations (e.g., lactic acid bacteria), and, on the other hand, the Lotka-Volterra (predator-prey) model, in which competition is represented by two inhibition coefficients. Both models and their modifications can be used for predicting microbial interaction under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions in artificial culture media or food. These models can be used as tools to support the assessment and establishment of bio-protective culture-based strategies aimed at reducing the risk of foodborne diseases. Herein, the development and application of microbial interaction models to simulate the bio-protective effect of lactic acid bacteria on foodborne pathogens is described.