Master of Science / Department of Grain Science and Industry / Subramanyam Bhadriraju / During heat treatment, the ambient temperature of grain-processing facilities is raised to 50-60°C for at least 24 hours to manage stored-product insects. Young larvae (first instars) of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), are the most heat tolerant stage at 50-60°C. A thermal death kinetic (TDK) model predicted survival of T. castaneum young larvae exposed to six constant elevated temperatures between 42 and 60ºC. The model is based on logarithmic survival of T. castaneum as a function of time and logarithmic reduction in larval survival as a function of temperature. The model was validated with 12 independent temperature datasets collected during heat treatments of pilot-scale and commercial grain-processing facilities. Young larval survival in plastic boxes/vials with flour was used to validate model predictions. The heating rate to 50°C from the ambient among the 12 datasets ranged from 0.9-7.8°C/h. Mean absolute deviations between observed and predicted larval survival for 10 of the 12 datasets ranged from 2.1-11.4%; it was 16.2 and 18.3% for two other datasets. The TDK model can be used to predict survival of young larvae of T. castaneum based on time-dependent temperature profile obtained at any given location during heat treatment of grain-processing facilities. In three commercial grain-processing facilities heat treatments were conducted for 24-27.7 hours using forced-air gas heaters. Temperatures attained and survival of 20 eggs, 20 young larvae, and 20 adults of T. castaneum in bioassay vials at various locations were determined. Across all three facilities, 5 out of 2720 adults in 136 vials, 1 out of 960 young larvae in 48 vials, and 0 out of 1760 eggs in 88 vials were alive at the end of the heat treatment. In each facility, the time in hours for 1% predicted survival of T. castaneum young larvae was positively related to how quickly temperatures reached 50°C, and negatively related to rate of heating to 50°C from the ambient, time above 50°C in hours, and the maximum temperature. Bioassays with T. castaneum life stages and the TDK model can be used to gauge effectiveness of facility heat treatments.

O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar o efeito da gordura do leite bovino na resistência térmica do Mycobacterium fortuitum. Amostras de leite bovino integral e desnatado foram contaminadas com inóculo padronizado de M. fortuitum, atingindo a concentração de aproximadamente 107 UFC/mL de leite, e submetidas à pasteurização lenta (65ºC/30mim.). Foi realizada a contagem do agente nos tempos 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 e 30 minutos de pasteurização (em meio Lowenstein-Jensen, incubação a 37ºC/5 dias), e os resultados, em logarítmo, foram plotados em diagrama de dispersão com posterior regressão linear para construção da curva de sobreviventes (ou curva de morte térmica). Foram obtidas 3 curvas para o leite integral e 3 para o leite desnatado, porém, para o cálculo do valor D65ºC, utilizou-se a melhor reta obtida para cada tipo de leite. Encontraram-se valores D65ºC do Mycobacterium fortuitum iguais a 18,02 minutos para o leite integral e 7,82 minutos para o desnatado; a gordura do leite influenciou no padrão da curva de morte térmica e teve efeito protetor sobre o M. fortuitum. Conclui-se que a pasteurização lenta é capaz de reduzir 3,85 log de M. fortuitum em leite desnatado e 1,67 log em leite integral, resultando em diferentes níveis de segurança ao consumidor. / This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cow milk fat on the thermal resistance of Mycobacterium fortuitum. Samples of whole and skim cow milk were contaminated with a standardized inoculum of M. fortuitum, until 107 cfu/mL, and heated at 65ºC/30 minutes (Holder Pasteurization). It was repeated tree times, with milk (whole and skim) from the same animal. Survivors were enumerated by plate count method, after heating for 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 minutes (in Lowenstein-Jensen medium, incubation at 37ºC/5 days) and the logarithmic results were plotted on dispersion diagram with posterior linear regression for the construction of the survivors? curve (or thermal death curve). Those data resulted on 3 curves for the whole milk and 3 for the skim milk, although, for the D65ºC value calculation, it was selected the best-fit line for each kind of milk. The D65ºC value for Mycobacterium fortuitum achieved was 18,02 minutes for the whole milk and 7,82 minutes for the skim milk; the milk fat influenced the pattern of thermal death curve and had a protective effect on the M. fortuitum. It was inferred that the holder pasteurization (65ºC/30 min) is capable to reduce 3,85 log of the M. fortuitum at skim milk and 1,67 log at whole milk, resulting in different security levels for the customers.

O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar o efeito da gordura do leite bovino na resistência térmica do Mycobacterium fortuitum. Amostras de leite bovino integral e desnatado foram contaminadas com inóculo padronizado de M. fortuitum, atingindo a concentração de aproximadamente 107 UFC/mL de leite, e submetidas à pasteurização lenta (65ºC/30mim.). Foi realizada a contagem do agente nos tempos 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 e 30 minutos de pasteurização (em meio Lowenstein-Jensen, incubação a 37ºC/5 dias), e os resultados, em logarítmo, foram plotados em diagrama de dispersão com posterior regressão linear para construção da curva de sobreviventes (ou curva de morte térmica). Foram obtidas 3 curvas para o leite integral e 3 para o leite desnatado, porém, para o cálculo do valor D65ºC, utilizou-se a melhor reta obtida para cada tipo de leite. Encontraram-se valores D65ºC do Mycobacterium fortuitum iguais a 18,02 minutos para o leite integral e 7,82 minutos para o desnatado; a gordura do leite influenciou no padrão da curva de morte térmica e teve efeito protetor sobre o M. fortuitum. Conclui-se que a pasteurização lenta é capaz de reduzir 3,85 log de M. fortuitum em leite desnatado e 1,67 log em leite integral, resultando em diferentes níveis de segurança ao consumidor. / This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cow milk fat on the thermal resistance of Mycobacterium fortuitum. Samples of whole and skim cow milk were contaminated with a standardized inoculum of M. fortuitum, until 107 cfu/mL, and heated at 65ºC/30 minutes (Holder Pasteurization). It was repeated tree times, with milk (whole and skim) from the same animal. Survivors were enumerated by plate count method, after heating for 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 minutes (in Lowenstein-Jensen medium, incubation at 37ºC/5 days) and the logarithmic results were plotted on dispersion diagram with posterior linear regression for the construction of the survivors? curve (or thermal death curve). Those data resulted on 3 curves for the whole milk and 3 for the skim milk, although, for the D65ºC value calculation, it was selected the best-fit line for each kind of milk. The D65ºC value for Mycobacterium fortuitum achieved was 18,02 minutes for the whole milk and 7,82 minutes for the skim milk; the milk fat influenced the pattern of thermal death curve and had a protective effect on the M. fortuitum. It was inferred that the holder pasteurization (65ºC/30 min) is capable to reduce 3,85 log of the M. fortuitum at skim milk and 1,67 log at whole milk, resulting in different security levels for the customers.