I was sent a link to this Campden Blog which highlights that organisms, Salmonella in this case, can survive in products (dry) where possibly some would say they shouldnt. I think this highlights what many have been stating for a while about the use of absolute parameters where microorganisms are concerned. By this I mean the standard tables for pH, Temperature and aW where organisms will not grow or survive above or below prescribed limits. As Microbiologists we have been telling the Chemists for years it’s not quite a simple as that. We are dealing with living organisms and as such they do not always behave as expected. There are a variety of complex factors that may upset the absolute tables, that are often published, and there is a major difference between growing in and surviving in.
This applies in particular to Listeria growth decision trees with a pH or aW limit especially in complex multi componant products.
FoodWorld 