Estimating microbial survival parameters from dynamic survival data using Microsoft Excel

Summary: Reliable survival parameter estimation is an essential part of building predictive models for microbial survival. It has been demonstrated that these parameters can be accurately identified using a one-step regression approach that fits a survival model to multiple dynamic data sets at once. However, the existing methods are not quite user-friendly because their application requires relatively high computer skills. In this study, a recursive equation for the Weibull model was used to construct microbial survival curves under dynamic conditions. Based on this, a procedure was developed to estimate survival parameters by fitting the equation to dynamic survival data sets using the built-in functions and Solver of Microsoft Excel. The results showed that the method provided an easy and accurate way for estimating microbial survival parameters. © 2013 Institute of Food Science and Technology.