Objectives
The mission of the Risk Analysis in Microbiology Task Force (TF) is to advance the scientific basis of microbiological risk analysis. Its objectives are (i) to contribute to the development of a conceptual framework and an agreed terminology for microbiological risk assessment, and (ii) to develop and improve tools to manage safety hazards and risks in food production systems.
Activities
Thermal Processing
The task force has initiated a new activity on Risk assessment approaches to setting thermal processes in food manufacturing.
It aims to demonstrate how risk based concepts and risk assessment techniques can be applied to the setting of thermal processes in food manufacturing. Many operations are governed by official or industry standards (e.g. process must/should achieve a 5 log reduction in Salmonella, a 12 log reduction in Clostridium botulinum). These standards provide a ‘safe harbour’ for manufacturers lacking detailed knowledge of factors relevant to risk, such as the level of raw ingredient contamination, the variability of their process, fate of the product in the marketplace, and the influence of the hazard on human illness.
More precise knowledge on risk assessment concepts and techniques can improve the safety of thermal processing and optimise product quality, cost and energy use. The transparency of the risk assessment framework allows for the demonstration of safety to regulators and other stakeholders. The activity will look at examples that range from the more simplistic application of risk assessment approaches through to increasingly complex examples that allow for greater precision. The capabilities and effort required will be highlighted for each of the examples.
A brainstorming meeting with experts was held in 2007 to further define the activity. An Expert Group will be set up to carry out the activity programme. It is envisaged to organise a workshop on this topic and to publish the results of the work in 2009.
Tools for Microbiological Risk Assessment - A Users Guide
An Expert Group commissioned by the task force will develop a users guide including a concise account of the tools for microbiological risk assessment. Such a guide would complement the very successful “Food Safety Management Tools” ILSI Europe Report.
At government level, microbiological risk assessment (MRA) is increasingly recognised as a structured and objective approach to understand the level of risk in a given food/pathogen scenario. Tools developed so far support qualitative and quantitative assessments of the risk that a pathogen in a food poses to a particular population. Risk can be expressed as absolute numbers or as relative (ranked) risks. The food industry is beginning to appreciate that the tools for MRA can increase the understanding of microbiological risks in foods.
It is timely to inform food safety professionals about the availability and utility of MRA tools. Therefore, the Expert Group will prepare a critical overview of tools used at different stages of the MRA process. Among the tools evaluated will be techniques to include expert judgement in MRAs, to characterise dose-response relationships, to model growth, survival and death of micro-organisms, to model the food chain or specific processes in it, and to integrate data from the various MRA stages. The evaluation would address the data requirements for various MRA tools and possibly associated limitations on interpretation.
Impact of Distributions of Micro-organisms in Food Products
Several new risk management concepts have been introduced in recent years, including Food Safety Objectives (FSO) and Performance Objectives (PO). They complement the existing microbiological criteria. Governments and food industries are expected to apply these concepts within their own remits. To implement them effectively, it is of eminent importance to have sound information on the statistical and physical distribution of micro-organisms in foods. This may best be explained/illustrated with examples, choosing extreme situations.
Regarding physical distribution, a large, homogeneously distributed microbial contaminant will be detected by every sampling procedure while a very large but very local contaminant will not be detected (except if the whole batch would be sampled). Also the statistical distribution is of importance. Most often, larger contamination levels are assumed to be log-normally distributed. However, if the number of contaminants per unit approaches one, continuous distributions are not appropriate.
In order to determine which statistical distribution describes the reality well, one needs large amounts of data. This applies in particular to the adequate quantification of probabilities in the tails of the distributions. These tails are important for the total exposure and for selecting the statistical distribution that most appropriately expresses this total exposure. Both aspects of distribution are also very relevant in risk assessments where, in many cases, only prevalence data are available, and good quality quantitative data on contamination levels are lacking.
An Expert Group has been set up with the objectives to:
- examine the impact of distributions of microbial contaminant levels on setting micro-criteria, Performance Objectives and Food Safety Objectives;
- gather evidence for (or against) utilising standard physical and/or statistical distributions and recommending useful standard distribution(s) for micro-organisms in food (e.g. Poisson mixture models).
The output of the work will be submitted for publication to a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Depending on the outcome of this activity, the task force also considers publishing an ILSI Europe Report on practical aspects of the impact of distributions on microorganisms on sampling plans.
Update of the Report on Food Safety Management Tools
The ILSI Europe Report on Food Safety Management Tools published in 1998 will be updated taking into account current developments, e.g. the Food Safety Objectives concept. An Expert Group will be appointed to undertake this task. Although the primary focus of the report was on microbiological issues, the general principles addressed are equally applicable to the management of chemical and physical contaminants. Therefore, the Risk Assessment of Chemicals in Food TF will review the report with regard to chemical contaminants.
Workshop on Using Microbiological Risk Assessment in Food Safety Management
In collaboration with the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), the TF organised a workshop to develop the use of microbiological risk assessment (MRA) in food safety management.
Examples of microbiological risk assessments have been published by governments, international organisations, academia, research organisations and companies. Focus is now on how microbiological risk assessment can best be utilised in food safety management. This would help to understand the magnitude of risk from a pathogen/product combination, and to design risk intervention scenarios whenever appropriate. The workshop explored the utilisation of MRA in depth. Particular focus was on the match between risk management questions and usefulness and validity of different MRA types developed to date. Practical examples of risk assessments formed the basis for the workshop in which risk assessors and risk managers from government, academia, research institutions and industry debated the requirements of useful and valid risk assessments.
The summary report of the workshop has been published in the ILSI Europe Report Series.
Impact
The TF collaborated with the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in the organisation of the Second European IAFP Symposium on Food Safety entitled ‘Innovations in Food Safety Management’, held in 2006 in Barcelona. The task force also plans to commission an ILSI Europe Session in the forthcoming IAFP European Symposium on Food Safety later this year. They consider collaboration with other international events, such as FoodMicro2008 to be held from 31 August to 3 September 2008 in Aberdeen, UK.
Task Force publications are widely read and disseminated inside and outside Europe, e.g. publications are provided to Codex Alimentarius meetings.
Meetings provide a neutral forum to discuss issues related to the microbiological safety of foods.
A flyer providing information on the ILSI Europe microbiology programme (comprising activities of the Emerging Microbiological Issues Task Force and the Risk Analysis in Microbiology Task Force) can be downloaded here.
Task Force Collaborators
The scientists below participate in the task force and expert groups:
Experts from supporting member companies
Mr. John Bassett, Unilever (UK)
Dr. David Bresnahan, Kraft Foods (US)
Dr. Paola Carnevali, Barilla G. & R. Fratelli (IT)
Dr. Andy Davies, H J Heinz (UK)
Dr. Tim Jackson, Nestlé (CH)
Dr. Jeanne-Marie Membré, Unilever (UK)
Ms. Louise Perrier, Groupe Danone (FR)
Dr. Bizhan Pourkomailian, McDonald’s Europe (UK)
Dr. Cathy Stannard, Mars (UK)
Dr. Anett Winkler, Kraft Foods (DE)
Experts from public institutes
Prof. Josse De Baerdemaeker, University of Leuven (BE)
Prof. Frank Devlieghere, University of Ghent (BE)
Ms. Ida Dijkhoff-Jongeburger, Wageningen University (NL)
Prof. em. Jean-Louis Jouve (FR)
Prof. Annemie Geeraerd, University of Leuven (BE)
Mr. Keith Jewell, Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association - CCFRA (UK)
Prof. Philip Richardson, Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association - CCFRA (UK)
Prof. Roger Stephan, University of Zürich (CH)
Dr. Mike Stringer, Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association - CCFRA (UK)
Prof. Marcel Zwietering, Wageningen University (NL)
Publications:
A. Lammerding. Using Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA) in Food Safety Management. ILSI Europe Report Series 2007:1-36.
M. Reij, E. van Asselt, J-L Cordier, L. Gorris. Recontamination as a Source of Pathogens in Processed Foods – A Literature Review. ILSI Europe Report Series 2005:1-28.
Food Safety Objectives – Role in Microbiological Food Safety Management. Food Control 2005;16(9):775-830. (Proceedings)
M. Stringer. Food Safety Objectives - Role in Microbiological Food Safety Management. ILSI Europe Report Series 2004:1-36. (Report)
M. Reij, E. den Aantrekker and the ILSI Europe Risk Analysis in Microbiology Task Force. Recontamination as a Source of Pathogens in Processed Foods. International Journal of Food Microbiology 2004;91(1):1-11.
M. van Schothorst. A Simple Guide to Understanding and Applying the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Concept -Third Edition. ILSI Europe Concise Monograph Series 2004 :1-23
L.G.M. Gorris, J-L. Jouve and M.F. Stringer, Editors. Microbiological Risk Assessment. International Journal of Food Microbiology 2000;58(3):141-246. (Proceedings)
JL Jouve, M.F. Stringer and A.C. Baird-Parker. Food Safety Management Tools. Food Science and Technology Today 1999;13(2):82-91.
R. Kirby. Validation and Verification of HACCP. ILSI Europe Report Series 1999:1-20.
J-L. Jouve, M.F. Stringer and A.C. Baird-Parker. Food Safety Management Tools. ILSI Europe Report Series 1998:1-20.
To download the ILSI Europe Microbiology Programme Flyer, click here.
For more information contact info@ilsieurope.be.