The microbiological safety of food is becoming an increasingly important issue in many countries. A number of factors have contributed to this, including changes in methods of food production and processing, changing consumption patterns, greater consumer awareness of food safety issues and emerging and re-emerging pathogens. Also, the expansion of international trade in food has increased the risk of infectious agents being disseminated from the original point of production to locations thousands of miles away. In addressing this issue at the international level FAO and WHO convened a joint Expert Consultation on Risk Assessment of Microbiological Hazards in Foods from 17 to 21 July 2000 in Rome. The meeting specifically addressed risk assessment of Salmonella spp. in broilers and eggs and Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods. This report summarizes its findings and includes advice and guidance on hazard characterization and exposure assessment of these pathogen-commodity combinations for consideration by FAO/WHO Member Countries and the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

This report summarizes the findings of the Joint Meeting on the risk assessments of salmonella in eggs and broiler chickens, and listeria in ready-to-eat foods. It presents a preliminary response to the specific risk management questions posed by the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene. It provides advice on how these risk assessments can be used and adapted by FAO and WHO member countries.

Contains information that is useful to both risk assessors and risk managers, including international scientific committees, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, governments, and food regulatory agencies, scientists, food producers and industries and other people or institutions with an interest in microbiological hazards in foods, their impact on public health and food trade and their control.

This unique book covers the key issues relating to the control and management of the most commonly occurring food borne bacteria which compromise the safety and quality of food. The 21 case studies, drawn from a wide range of sources, present real life situations in which the management of food borne pathogens failed or was at risk of failure. Each chapter contains a case study which is supported by relevant background information (such as diagrams, tables of data, etc), study questions and a subsequent feedback commentary, all of which encourage the reader to apply their knowledge. With reference to specific organisms such as E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and so on, the chapters move the reader progressively from strategies for control of food borne organisms, techniques for their control, appreciating risk, through sampling criteria and acceptance, to managing risk. With the provision of real-life problems to explore, along with the opportunity to propose and justify approaches to managing food safety, this book will be welcomed as a new approach to learning not only by students and their teachers, but also by food professionals in policy-making and enforcement and the many within the food industry who are involved with the management of food safety.

This reference describes the management, control, and prevention of microbial foodborne disease. It analyzes transformations in the epidemiology of foodborne disease from increased transnational food exchange to examinations of new and emerging zoonoses. It also discusses the prevalence and risk of foodborne disease in developing and industrialized

The second edition of Microorganisms in Foods 7: Microbiological Testing in Food Safety Management updates and expands on information on the role of microbiological testing in modern food safety management systems. After helping the reader understand the often confusing statistical concepts underlying microbiological sampling, the second edition explores how risk assessment and risk management can be used to establish goals such as a “tolerable levels of risk,” Appropriate Levels of Protection, Food Safety Objectives or Performance Objectives for use in controlling foodborne illness. Guidelines for establishing effective management systems for control of specific hazards in foods are also addressed, including new examples for pathogens and indicator organisms in powdered infant formula, Listeria monocytogenes in deli-meats, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli in leafy green vegetables, viruses in oysters and Campylobacter in poultry. In addition, a new chapter on application of sampling concept to microbiological methods, expanded chapters covering statistical process control, investigational sampling, environmental sampling, and alternative sampling schemes. The respective roles of industry and government are also explored, recognizing that it is through their collective actions that effective food safety systems are developed and verified. Understanding these systems and concepts can help countries determine whether imported foods were produced with an equivalent level of protection. Microorganisms in Foods 7 is intended for anyone using microbiological testing or setting microbiological criteria, whether for governmental food inspection and control, or industrial applications. It is also intended for those identifying the most effective use of microbiological testing in the food supply chain. For students in food science and technology, this book provides a wealth of information on food safety management principles used by government and industry, with many references for further study. The information was prepared by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF). The ICMSF was formed in response to the need for internationally acceptable and authoritative decisions on microbiological limits for foods in international commerce. The current membership consists of fifteen food microbiologists from twelve countries, drawn from government, universities, and food processing and related industries.