State of the art of nonthermal and thermal processing for inactivation of micro-organisms.Despite the constant development of novel thermal and nonthermal technologies, knowledge on the mechanisms of microbial inactivation is still very limited.  The efficacy of inactivation is greatly enhanced by combination of conventional (thermal) with nonthermal, or nonthermal with another nonthermal technique.  The key advantages offered by nonthermal processes in combination with sublethal mild temperature (<60°C) can inactivate micro-organisms synergistically.  Various novel nonthermal processing technologies, alone or in combination, have shown potential for vegetative cells and spores inactivation. 
THERM