ABSTRACT
The substantial number of compounds that have been identified and utilized as antimicrobials in human foods has resulted in numerous methods of evaluation of antimicrobial activity being described by researchers. Multiple factors may influence the usefulness of a particular assay of an antimicrobial agent’s apparent activity in vitro or in a food product, including the physico-chemistry of the antimicrobial agent, the susceptibility of targeted organisms, the interactions of the antimicrobial with components of the medium or the food product, and any food processing conditions. The method of assay should be designed to account for the likely mode of exposure of the foodborne microorganism to the antimicrobial agent. Screening tests, as well as endpoint tests, can provide the user with useful qualitative and quantitative information that describes the antimicrobial’s spectrum of inhibition or minimum inhibitory or lethal concentration, or may be used to provide kinetic data that describe a microorganism’s growth while exposed to the antimicrobial compound. The correct selection of antimicrobial activity assays, and the interpretation of gathered data, ultimately can provide the food safety specialist and food manufacturer with appropriate understanding of antimicrobial usefulness, and guide decision-making in antimicrobial use in food processing to protect food safety and quality.
