A food safety management tool that utilizes a mathematical model based on differential equations that is generalized for describing the continuous growth-death kinetics of microbial populations in foodstuffs. The method is used to provide a way to control target microorganisms when designing product formulations of minimally processed foodstuffs or when processing foods with high pressures, temperatures, or other lethal agents to achieve effective pasteurization, disinfection, or sterilization of foodstuffs, and includes the use of model parameters to predict food formulations to inhibit the growth of microorganisms and the processing times needed to reduce microbial hazards to levels that ensure consumer safety.