Abstract: Foodborne pathogens are the primary factors causing foodborne illness. In order to quantitatively evaluate the food safety risks associated with foodborne pathogens and the effectiveness of food processing technology in controlling these risks, it is necessary to establish predictive microbiology models to estimate the growth or inactivation parameters of foodborne pathogens. The lag phase is an important parameter in the description of the growth of foodborne pathogens, which is known to be influenced by multi-factors. Especially the growth variability of foodborne pathogens at low concentrations makes it difficult to obtain the lag phase accurately. In this article, based on a review of the relevant worldwide studies in recent years, we systematically summarize the methods used to determine the lag phase of foodborne pathogens and the factors that may affect it, and we describe the cellular events that can be used as physiological markers for the lag phase of foodborne pathogens. Finally, we propose future trends in this area of research.

Key words: predictive microbiology; foodborne pathogens; lag phase; detection methods; physiological markers