Significance of Inoculum Size in the Lag Time of Listeria monocytogenes

The lag time of Listeria monocytogenes growing under suboptimal conditions (low nutrient concentrations, pH 6, and 6.5 degrees C) was extended when the inoculum was severely stressed by starvation and the inoculum size was very small. Predictive microbiology should deal with bacterial stress and stochastic approaches to improve its value for the agro-food industry.