A risk assessment model for Salmonella spp. in swine carcasses

Salmonellosis is one of the most important food‐borne outbreaks that occurs in the EU/EEA. From the first production stages at slaughter, meat is susceptible to spoilage and can be a substrate for the pathogenic microorganisms growth. Among the pathogens, the presence of Salmonella is mainly due to mishandling during the evisceration stage. For the year 2019, according to the collected data from MSs, on the 17.9% of all food‐borne outbursts, the presence Salmonella was confirmed. Pork meat is considered as one of the four most commonly reported foods in cases of salmonellosis. For the training purposes of this project, Salmonella isolation and identification along with RA for carcass contamination, was performed. Pig carcasses were sampled using the non‐destructive technique. The sampling took place post dressing and before the stage of chilling. For the Salmonella detection, a three phases process was performed (pre‐enrichment, enrichment, isolation). A total of 757 samples were collected, 19 were found to be positive for Salmonella. The most common was found to be Salmonella Derby, which was identified eight times. The main objective of the project was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in swine carcasses. Moreover, certain parameters were evaluated in terms of their influence on the prevalence of Salmonella. A stochastic simulation model was developed in Microsoft Office Excel 2019 by using the add‐in @Risk v.8.1. The prevalence was estimated to be 2.6%. For the pigs sampled, the average value of the distance from farm to slaughterhouse was 200.92 km. Additionally, the average weight of the carcasses was 127.97 kg. The prevalence of Salmonella between the samples that came from farms with a distance above the average, was higher by 1.7 units, while the prevalence for the samples with weight above the average was higher by 0.2 units. According to the stochastic model, it is specified that the prevalence is higher with greater distance, and there is an 8.1% probability the prevalence will exceed the legislation’s – hygiene criteria. In addition, the prevalence of Salmonella was shown to increase, as well in the case of samples from weightier animals, but to a lesser extent.

Quantitative risk assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in a traditional RTE product

Ready to Eat (RTE) cooked meat products are among the most consumed RTE food subcategories in the EU. They are also associated with the highest number of listeriosis cases per year. Contamination with Listeria monocytogenes may arise from post-processing and its growth is often supported by the pH and water activity of the product. L. monocytogenes may grow during refrigeration and reach unacceptable levels at the time of consumption, posing a public health risk. The aim of this study was to conduct a Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment (QMRA) of L. monocytogenes in a traditional Italian RTE cooked meat product. Data for the risk assessment included prevalence and concentration of the microorganism, temperature-time conditions during transport and storage, information on the growth of the microorganism and its potential for disease (dose-response). These data were obtained from laboratory analysis of product samples (n = 50), a consumer survey (n = 160), recordings of temperatures of domestic refrigerators (n = 60) and were complemented with information from the literature. The data were described with appropriate probability distributions and introduced into a previously described growth model of L. monocytogenes. Based on the above components, a probabilistic model was created to evaluate the growth of L. monocytogenes at each stage of the product pathway (retail storage, transportation and domestic storage) using Monte Carlo simulations. The model design for this pathogen/food product combination, alongside with the findings of the study are included in a separate publication (manuscript under preparation). The results may help risk managers to apply appropriate control measures to minimise the public health risk. The project contributed to further education of the fellow, especially in the use of QMRA risk analysis tools and laid the foundations for future collaborations between the fellow's home institution, the University of Crete, Greece and the University of Perugia, Italy.

Meat from cattle slaughtered without stunning sold in the conventional market without appropriate labelling: A case study in Italy

In the European Union, slaughter without stunning is allowed for religious slaughter to obtain halal and kosher meat. Especially in the case of Jewish slaughtering, cuts which are not deemed as kosher are sold to regular market without any specific labelling. This survey, conducted in Tuscany in 2016, aimed to quantify the carcasses rejected in relation to the type of religious slaughter. 656 bovines were slaughtered without stunning: 538 (82%) for halal and 118 (18%) for kosher. All carcasses slaughtered by the Islamic procedure (dhabiha) were considered halal, while 77.1% of carcasses slaughtered by the Jewish procedure (shechita) did not pass the approval. Carcasses were rejected after chest cavity inspection (50%) and after the lungs control (50%). This study provides an important insight in this field and postulates how to amalgamate the concepts of freedom of religion, as enshrined by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, with consumer rights and animal welfare.

Food safety and nutritional quality for the prevention of non communicable diseases: the Nutrient, hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point process (NACCP)

Background

The important role of food and nutrition in public health is being increasingly recognized as crucial for its potential impact on health-related quality of life and the economy, both at the societal and individual levels. The prevalence of non-communicable diseases calls for a reformulation of our view of food. The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, first implemented in the EU with the Directive 43/93/CEE, later replaced by Regulation CE 178/2002 and Regulation CE 852/2004, is the internationally agreed approach for food safety control. Our aim is to develop a new procedure for the assessment of the Nutrient, hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (NACCP) process, for total quality management (TMQ), and optimize nutritional levels.

Methods

NACCP was based on four general principles: i) guarantee of health maintenance; ii) evaluate and assure the nutritional quality of food and TMQ; iii) give correct information to the consumers; iv) ensure an ethical profit. There are three stages for the application of the NACCP process: 1) application of NACCP for quality principles; 2) application of NACCP for health principals; 3) implementation of the NACCP process. The actions are: 1) identification of nutritional markers, which must remain intact throughout the food supply chain; 2) identification of critical control points which must monitored in order to minimize the likelihood of a reduction in quality; 3) establishment of critical limits to maintain adequate levels of nutrient; 4) establishment, and implementation of effective monitoring procedures of critical control points; 5) establishment of corrective actions; 6) identification of metabolic biomarkers; 7) evaluation of the effects of food intake, through the application of specific clinical trials; 8) establishment of procedures for consumer information; 9) implementation of the Health claim Regulation EU 1924/2006; 10) starting a training program.

Results and discussion

We calculate the risk assessment as follows: Risk (R) = probability (P) × damage (D). The NACCP process considers the entire food supply chain “from farm to consumer”; in each point of the chain it is necessary implement a tight monitoring in order to guarantee optimal nutritional quality.