Microbial Risk Assessment of Non-Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli in Natural and Processed Cheeses in Korea

Abstract

This study assessed the quantitative microbial risk of non-enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC). For hazard identification, hazards of non-EHEC E. coli in natural and processed cheeses were identified by research papers. Regarding exposure assessment, non-EHEC E. coli cell counts in cheese were enumerated, and the developed predictive models were used to describe the fates of non-EHEC E. coli strains in cheese during distribution and storage. In addition, data on the amounts and frequency of cheese consumption were collected from the research report of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. For hazard characterization, a dose-response model for non-EHEC E. coli was used. Using the collected data, simulation models were constructed, using software @RISK to calculate the risk of illness per person per day. Non-EHEC E. coli cells in natural- (n=90) and processed-cheese samples (n=308) from factories and markets were not detected. Thus, we estimated the initial levels of contamination by Uniform distribution × Beta distribution, and the levels were −2.35 and −2.73 Log CFU/g for natural and processed cheese, respectively. The proposed predictive models described properly the fates of non-EHEC E. coli during distribution and storage of cheese. For hazard characterization, we used the Beta-Poisson model (α=2.21×10−1, N50=6.85×107). The results of risk characterization for non-EHEC E. coli in natural and processed cheese were 1.36×10−7 and 2.12×10−10 (the mean probability of illness per person per day), respectively. These results indicate that the risk of non-EHEC E. coli foodborne illness can be considered low in present conditions.

Coliforms Diversity and Antibiotic Resistance in Kazakhstan Cheese

“…However, cheese, like other dairy products, can be a source of foodborne pathogens that can survive and multiply in the production environment under certain conditions. When foods are contaminated, they pose a public health concern and cause food poisoning and toxic infections (Kim et al, 2017;Ganz et al, 2020).…”

From Cheese-Making to Consumption: Exploring the Microbial Safety of Cheeses through Predictive Microbiology Models

“…In this sense, these models may assist in the development of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans, in the improvement of Food Safety Objectives, and in Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessments (QMRA) [ 25 , 26 ]. To date, predictive models have been applied to describe the fate of various pathogenic bacteria such as L. monocytogenes [ 27 , 28 , 29 ], non-enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli [ 30 ], and S. aureus [ 31 , 32 ] in QMRAs concerning the consumption of cheese.…”