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ComBase: Combined Database for Predictive Food Microbiology

Combase, a collaboration between the University of Tasmania and the USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), is the world’s largest and freely-accessible database that describes how pathogens and spoilage organisms respond to diverse food environments. Its main features are the ComBase database and ComBase models.

Twenty-nine additional models have been added in November 2018 bringing the total to sixty two. The new models include E coli models for lettuce and a Listeria monocytogenes model for Blue cheese. Over 60,000 records have been deposited into ComBase, describing how food environments, such as temperature, pH, and water activity, as well as other factors (e.g. preservatives and atmosphere) affect the growth of bacteria.

ComBase is a highly useful tool for food companies to understand safer ways of producing and storing foods. This includes developing new food products and reformulating foods, designing challenge test protocols, producing Food Safety plans, and helping public health organizations develop science-based food policies through quantitative risk assessment.