The aim of this study was to investigate the growth of aerobic bacteria in fresh-cut salad during short-term temperature abuse (4∼30℃temperature for 1, 2, and 3 h) for 72 h and to develop predictive models for the growth of total viable cells (TVC) based on Predictive food microbiology (PFM). The tool that was used, Pathogen Modeling program (PMP 7.0), predicts the growth of Aeromonas hydrophila (broth Culture, aerobic) at pH 5.6, NaCl 2.5%, and sodium nitrite 150 ppm for 72 h. Linear models through linear regression analysis; DMFit program were created based on the results obtained at 5, 10, 20, and 30℃ for 72 h (r2 >0.9). Secondary models for the growth rate and lag time, as a function of storage temperature, were developed using the polynomial model. The initial contamination level of fresh-cut salad was 5.6 log CFU/mL of TVC during 72 h storage, and the growth rate of TVC was shown to be 0.020∼1.083 CFU/mL/h (r2 >0.9). Also, the growth tendency of TVC was similar to that of PMP (grow rate: 0.017∼0.235 CFU/mL/h; r2=0.994∼1.000). The predicted shelf life with PMP was 24.1∼626.5 h, and the estimated shelf life of the fresh-cut salads with short-term temperature abuse was 15.6∼31.1 h. The predicted shelf life was more than two times the observed one. This result indicates a ‘fail safe’ model. It can be taken to a ludicrous extreme by adopting a model that always predicts that a pathogenic microorganism will grow even under conditions so strict as to be actually impossible.