Integrating a kinetic microbial model with a heat transfer model to predict Byssochlamys fulva growth in refrigerated papaya pulp

•A model to describe the growth of Byssochlamys fulva under dynamic temperature is proposed.•The influence of storage conditions on the growth of B. fulva was investigated.•Detection time for B. fulva growing in papaya pulp varied from 24 to 87 h.•Detection time can be reduced up to 76% increasing temperature and decreasing air stream velocity.

Integrating mathematical modeling of process engineering with kinetic microbial models is a promising option for improving the food safety. In this study the effects of refrigeration air stream velocity and initial product temperature on the time taken for stored papaya pulp to be spoiled by Byssochlamys fulva were evaluated. A predictive model to describe the influence of temperature on the growth of this mold was developed. This model was then integrated with equations describing heat transfer in an infinite slab with a convective boundary condition. Several different refrigeration process scenarios were simulated. The results showed that the modified Gompertz model combined with the extended square root model and hyperbolic model offered the best description of the fungus’s behavior in papaya pulp. The simulations showed that product’s shelf-life can be reduced up to 76% in storage conditions of high temperature and low air velocity.