Selective Review of Research Results Related to Thermal Process Lethality Estimation

II. Thermal Inactivation Kinetics

Abstract

The present paper reviews research results mostly related to thermal inactivation reaction kinetics that were emanated from work conducted at the present author's laboratory. After completing the review, discussions and future research needs were presented. Discussions include the examination of a widely accepted approach for thermal process evaluation based on the use of a sterilizing value (F_p) . This examination shows that the approach is not valid when the slope (z) of a phantom thermal death time curve and/or the initial curvilinearity parameter (R) of a survivor curve are temperature dependent. The future research needs include reaction kinetic study on thermal lethality enhancement by the thermal shock of microorganisms.