The food microbiological stability is achieved by the reduction of the initial microbial load
using a suitable procedure (generally a thermal process) followed by maintaining the
residual microbial load to acceptable levels. The factors that affect microbial growth are
generally classified into two groups: intrinsic (ie, of the food) and extrinsic (ie, of the
environment) factors. The main intrinsic factors of food are its water activity (aw), pH and
acidity, redox potential (Eh), and the nutrient content. The main extrinsic factors are the …