In most cases, the D-values predicted by the omnibus log-linear
model with tail overestimated those reported in the literature, which
can be due to the use of more resistant (starvation stressed) Salmonella
cells. The best agreement was attained by the D-values obtained from
our previous study on the effect of cinnamaldehyde and carvacrol on
Salmonella inactivation in chicken (Juneja et al., 2012). As this is the
only publication assessing the effects of such antimicrobials on Salmonella
lethality, it contains the most appropriate D-values our model
can be contrasted against. Despite the different ways of estimating the
D-values in the two studies, in most of the cases, the reported
D-values fell within the 95% confidence intervals of the log-linear
model predictions. This constitutes a good validation for our model, although
the current study employed starvation-stressed Salmonella cells.
Major deviations between reported D-values and D-values predicted by
the log-linear model occurred in other chicken products, such as chicken
broth and chicken nuggets, and alsowhen themodel was extrapolated
to predict D-values below 60 °C. In such cases, the model greatly
underestimated the D-values (note the right-most three markers in
Fig. 6 which represent D-values obtained at 55 °C