This study was carried out to develop and validate predictive models of E. coli O157:H7 growth. Growth data of E. coli O157:H7 in Paprika were collected at 12, 24, 30 and 36 o C. The population increased into 3.0 to 3.8 log10 CFU/g within 4 days, then continued to increase at a slower rate through 10 days of storage at 12 o C. The lag time (LT) and maximum specific growth rate (SGR) obtained from each primary model was then modeled as a function of temperature using Davey and square root equations, respectively. For interpolation of performance evaluation, growth data for a mixture of E. coli O157:H7 were collected at time intervals in paprika incubated at the different temperatures, which was not used in model development. Results of model performance for interpolation data demonstrated that induced secondary models showed acceptable goodness of fit. Relative errors in the LT and SGR model for interpolation data (18 and 27 o C) was 100%, which show acceptable goodness of fit and validated for interpolation. The primary and secondary models developed in this study can be used to establish tertiary models to quantify the effects of temperature on the growth of E. coli O157:H7 in paprika.