Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
The thermal death point (TDP) is the lowest temperature at which all microorganisms in a liquid suspension are killed in 10 minutes. It is an important parameter for determining the effectiveness of heat sterilization methods.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
TDP varies among different microorganisms and is influenced by factors such as pH, moisture content, and the presence of fats or proteins.
Determining TDP helps in designing pasteurization and sterilization processes to ensure microbial safety in food and medical products.
TDP testing involves heating a sample at varying temperatures and observing the time needed to achieve complete microbial death.
A higher TDP indicates that a microorganism has greater heat resistance, making it more challenging to eliminate through standard heat treatment methods.
Understanding TDP is crucial for preventing spoilage and ensuring the shelf life of perishable products.
Review Questions
Related terms
Thermal Death Time (TDT): The shortest time required to kill all microorganisms in a suspension at a specific temperature.
D-Value: The time required to kill 90% of the microorganisms at a specified temperature.
Z-Value: The increase in temperature required to reduce the D-value by one log cycle.