## 3 Results and Discussion
### RSM Modeling  
In Table 1, the average values of five microbiological parameters of the tested microorganisms exposed to molasses at different times and different osmolality levels are shown. The presented results showed that the numbers of _E. coli_ and _L. monocytogenes_ instantly significantly reduced when these microorganisms were inoculated (in numbers of 5.08 log10(cfu/mL)) in molasses for all values of osmolality. Higher values of molasses's osmolality have shown a significant instant reduction of _Salmonella_ spp. (from 5750 mmol/kg). These results point at microorganisms' viability reduction, as a stress response from an unfavorable high-pressure environment [47]. The values of Enterobacteriaceae and TPC at time 0 in all molasses's osmolality values, show the same behavior as previous microorganisms  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Run No. **} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Time (h)**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Osmodality**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**E. coli**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**L. monocytogenes**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Salmonella spp. **} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Entero-**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**TPC log10(cfu/g)**} \\  & & & & log10(cfu/g) & & log10(cfu/g) & & log10(cfu/g) \\ \hline
1 & 0 & 5500 & 4.98 \(\pm\) 0.  
when in contact with molasses, with a significant instant reduction from the inoculation numbers of 5.38 and 5.56 log\({}_{10}\)(cfu/mL) for Enterobacteriaceae and TPC, respectively. With the prolongation of the exposure time of all tested microorganisms to any of the tested molasses osmolalities, a further statistically significant decrease in the number of microorganisms occurred. These results indicated that high-osmolality environments, such as molasses, had in addition to an instant reduction effect on microorganisms' viability, a prolonged reduction effect that increases with the exposure time flow. [PERSON] et al. [13] reported that the sugar beet molasses antibacterial mechanism may be due to the damaged cytoplasmic membrane and bacterial proteins caused by sugar beet molasses polyphenols, changing bacterial cells' physiology and morphology. The trends of the effect of the exposure time of the five tested microorganisms to the high molasses osmolality environment on their viability, expressed as the number of microorganisms, can be seen in the developed mathematical models' graphics, shown in Figure 1a-e. The presented graphics show that a reduction in the _E. coli_, _Salmonella_, Enterobacteriaceae, and TPC numbers was more rapid at the beginning of the exposure to the molasses. The reduction rate decreased at later time points of the exposure (the results and discussion of the developed mathematical models will describe this quadratic dependence in more detail). The trend of the number for the _L. monocytogenes_ dependence on exposure time shows a more linear decrease with the molasses exposure time flow (Figure 1b). The results of the effect of molasses osmolality levels on the tested microorganisms' viability (Table 1) show that by increasing osmolality levels at the same exposure time points, there is a statistically significant decrease in all the tested microorganisms' values. The presented results indicate that, in the same way as exposure time, molasses' osmolality values also statistically significantly affect all the tested microorganisms' viabilities. The trends of the effect of molasses's osmolality levels on the five tested microorganisms' viability, expressed as a number of microorganisms, can be seen and compared with the trends of the effects of the exposure time on the developed mathematical models' graphics,  
Figure 1: Graphical presentation of mathematical modeled dependence of **(a)**_E. coli_; **(b)**_L. monocytogenes_, **(c)**_Salmonella_ spp_. ; **(d)** Enterobacteriaceaeae, and **(e)** TPC numbers in molasses at different exposure time and of different osmolalities.