['To investigate which components of milk increase the heat resistance of Salmonella senftenberg 775W, and to explore the mechanisms that could be involved in this protective effect.', 'The heat resistance of Salm. senftenberg was determined in a specially designed resistometer in several heating media. The molecules responsible for the thermal protective effect of milk were in the protein fraction, even in the < 3000 Da ultrafiltrate. The protective effect was lost when whey was demineralized. The former protective effect was restored when calcium or magnesium was added. Milk components protected cell envelopes of Salm. senftenberg from heat damage.'] Do low molecular weight milk whey components protect Salmonella senftenberg 775W against heat by a mechanism involving divalent cations?