Quantitative microbiological risk assessment as a tool to obtain useful information for risk managers--specific application to Listeria monocytogenes and ready-to-eat meat products.

The presence of Listeria monocytogenes in a sliced cooked, cured ham-like meat product was quantitatively assessed. Sliced cooked, cured meat products are considered as high risk products. These ready-to-eat, RTE, products (no special preparation, e.g. thermal treatment, before eating is required), support growth of pathogens (high initial pH=6.2-6.4 and water activity=0.98-0.99) and has a relatively long period of storage at chilled temperatures with a shelf life equal to 60 days based on manufacturer's instructions. Therefore, in case of post-process contamination, even with low number of cells, the microorganism is able to reach unacceptable levels at the time of consumption. The aim of this study was to conduct a Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment (QMRA) on the risk of L. monocytogenes presence in RTE meat products. This may help risk managers to make decisions and apply control measures with ultimate objective the food safety assurance. Examples are given to illustrate the development of practical risk management strategies based on the results obtained from the QMRA model specifically developed for this pathogen/food product combination.

[1]  Marcel H. Zwietering,et al.  Modelling microorganisms in food , 2007 .

[2]  P. Skandamis,et al.  Determination of the growth limits and kinetic behavior of Listeria monocytogenes in a sliced cooked cured meat product: validation of the predictive growth model under constant and dynamic temperature storage conditions. , 2006, Journal of food protection.

[3]  Hong Yang,et al.  Consumer Phase Risk Assessment for Listeria monocytogenes in Deli Meats , 2006, Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis.

[4]  M. Tobin-D'Angelo,et al.  Preliminary FoodNet Data on the incidence of infection with pathogens transmitted commonly through food--10 States, 2008. , 2009, MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report.

[5]  Arie H Havelaar,et al.  Fine-tuning Food Safety Objectives and risk assessment. , 2004, International journal of food microbiology.

[6]  Marcel H Zwietering,et al.  Quantitative risk assessment: is more complex always better? Simple is not stupid and complex is not always more correct. , 2009, International journal of food microbiology.

[7]  R. C. Whiting,et al.  Use of Epidemiologic and Food Survey Data To Estimate a Purposefully Conservative Dose-Response Relationship for Listeria monocytogenes Levels and Incidence of Listeriosis †. , 1997, Journal of food protection.

[8]  Richard C. Whiting,et al.  Using Risk Assessment Principles in an Emerging Paradigm for Controlling the Microbial Safety of Foods , 2008 .

[9]  R. Lindqvist,et al.  Home storage temperatures and consumer handling of refrigerated foods in Sweden. , 2004, Journal of food protection.

[10]  Gianluca Gallerano.  Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources , 2004 .

[11]  D. Vose.  Risk Analysis: A Quantitative Guide , 2000 .

[12]  E. V. van Asselt,et al.  Extracting additional risk managers information from a risk assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in deli meats. , 2007, Journal of food protection.

[13]  M. J. Nauta,et al.  The Modular Process Risk Model (MPRM): a Structured Approach to Food Chain Exposure Assessment , 2008 .

[14]  Christopher J. Griffith,et al.  Assessment of the Standard of Consumer Food Safety Behavior. , 1997, Journal of food protection.

[15]  Marcel H. Zwietering,et al.  Integrating Concepts: a Case Study Using Enterobacter sakazakii in Infant Formula , 2008 .

[16]  Isabel Walls,et al.  Role of quantitative risk assessment and food safety objectives in managing Listeria monocytogenes on ready-to-eat meats. , 2006, Meat science.

[17]  L. Gram.  Achieving continuous improvement in reductions in foodborne listeriosis: A risk-based approach , 2005 .

[18]  P. Skandamis,et al.  Risk profiles of pork and poultry meat and risk ratings of various pathogen/product combinations. , 2008, International journal of food microbiology.

[19]  D. Bolton,et al.  Food safety knowledge of consumers and the microbiological and temperature status of their refrigerators. , 2005, Journal of food protection.

[20]  Tom Ross,et al.  Relating microbiological criteria to food safety objectives and performance objectives , 2009 .

[21]  Preliminary FoodNet data on the incidence of infection with pathogens transmitted commonly through food--10 states, 2007. , 2008, MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report.

[22]  Grahame W. Gould,et al.  Microbiological Safety and Quality of Food , 1999 .

[23]  A. Hocking,et al.  Sampling for microbiological analysis. , 2003 .

[24]  Sarah Cahill,et al.  Risk assessments of Salmonella in eggs and broiler chickens , 2002 .

[25]  Frédéric Carlin,et al.  A retail and consumer phase model for exposure assessment of Bacillus cereus. , 2003, International journal of food microbiology.

[26]  Mina K. Kim.  Impact of Temperature and pH on the Survival of Listeria monocytogenes in Souse meat , 2006 .

[27]  R. C. Whiting,et al.  Determining the microbiological criteria for lot rejection from the performance objective or food safety objective. , 2006, International journal of food microbiology.

[28]  Robert L. Buchanan,et al.  Using Risk Analysis for Microbial Food Safety Regulatory Decision Making , 2008 .

[29]  Marcel H. Zwietering,et al.  Predictive models in microbiological risk assessment. , 2007 .

[30]  Marcel H. Zwietering,et al.  4 – Uncertainty and variability in predictive models of microorganisms in food , 2007 .

[31]  M. H. Zwietering,et al.  Evaluation of Data Transformations and Validation of a Model for the Effect of Temperature on Bacterial Growth , 1994, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[32]  Maarten J Nauta,et al.  Microbiological risk assessment models for partitioning and mixing during food handling. , 2005, International journal of food microbiology.

[33]  John Sumner,et al.  A simple, spreadsheet-based, food safety risk assessment tool. , 2002, International journal of food microbiology.

[34]  J. Sofos,et al.  Challenges to meat safety in the 21st century. , 2008, Meat science.

[35]  M. Mataragas,et al.  Shelf life establishment of a sliced, cooked, cured meat product based on quality and safety determinants. , 2007, Journal of food protection.

[36]  Eleftherios H. Drosinos,et al.  Development of a Predictive Model for Spoilage of Cooked Cured Meat Products and Its Validation Under Constant and Dynamic Temperature Storage Conditions , 2006 .

[37]  Donald W. Schaffner,et al.  Microbial risk analysis of foods. , 2008 .

[38]  J. Sofos,et al.  Fate of Listeria monocytogenes in commercial ham, formulated with or without antimicrobials, under conditions simulating contamination in the processing or retail environment and during home storage. , 2007, Journal of food protection.

[39]  D. Comar,et al.  A National Australian Food Safety Telephone Survey. , 1999, Journal of food protection.

[40]  Washington,et al.  Considerations for establishing safety-based consume-by date labels for refrigerated ready-to-eat foods. , 2005 .