The Predictive Microbiology Information Portal (PMIP) contains three major sections providing access to predictive models for foodborne pathogens, relevant regulatory policies and guidelines, and microbial data related to pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms in a wide variety of food products. The predictive models are mainly from the Pathogen Modeling Program (PMP) of ERRC-ARS-USDA, and currently over 40 models are in the portal. The main sources of rules and regulations are links to USDA-FSIS and FDA websites. The microbial growth data are from ComBase, which contains about 40,000 data points. It is a relational database jointly developed and maintained by the Food Research Institute of UK, ARS-USDA, and the Center of Excellence for Food Safety, Australia. The portal provides a searchable function that users can use to obtain specific information of interest. This tutorial provides brief instructions and examples on how to navigate the portal and retrieve necessary information.

Learn About Predictive Microbiology

1. Go to the PMIP home page

2. Select “Overview of Predictive Microbiology”

   The overview contains information regarding the principles of predictive microbiology, model development, and relevant background information.

Locate Resources

1. Go to the PMIP home page and select “Resource Locator”

2. Filter by category

   Select from the Organism Type, Food Type, and Resource Type filters. The matching resource count and sources will update automatically.

3. Browse results

   Matching resources appear in the list below the filters. Select a resource title to view its detail page, which includes a summary description and a link to the external resource.

Search Microbial Growth Data in ComBase

1. Go to the PMIP home page and select “ComBase”

2. Choose a search method

   At the bottom of the ComBase page, select either “ComBase site” or “Data Browser.”

3. Enter search and environmental conditions

   Once logged in, specify your search parameters (organism, food matrix, temperature, pH, etc.) and select “Search.”

4. Review results

   Results appear as a list of matched records. Click a record title to view its detail page, which shows the full dataset and related information. Navigate between records using the Previous and Next buttons.

Use Predictive Models

1. Go to the PMIP home page and select “Pathogen Modeling Program”

   From here you can select “PMP Tutorial” to learn more about PMP, or “Access Online Version” to go directly to the models.

2. Select a model

   Open the “Select a Pathogen Model” dropdown. Browse by “Bacteria » Model” or “Model » Bacterium” headings. In some cases, additional subheadings must be navigated as well. Select the model of interest.

3. Run the model

   Input your parameters and click “Calculate.” Predicted data appear in both chart and table formats.