Technical Abstract: Food microbiology research has resulted in large quantities of microbiological data that describe bacterial responses to various environments. Such data form the basis of predictive microbiology software packages such as the Pathogen Modeling Program (PMP) and the Food MicroModel. These software packages produce predictions of bacterial responses to food environments characterised by controlling factors such as temperature, pH, water activity, atmosphere composition and/or food additives. We describe a relational database, ComBase (i.e., Common Database), and demonstrate it using datasets produced by the combined efforts of the Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK; the Food Standards Agency, UK; and the USDA ARS Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA, USA. At the core of ComBase are the data forming the basis of the growth models in the PMP software package. These core data were extended with data submitted by collaborating institutes and with data recorded from the scientific literature. ComBase will be accessible to the public via the Internet in early 1993.