In the past decades, foodborne diseases have become a widespread public health issue all over the world. According to WHO, approximately 600 million foodborne illnesses and 420,000 deaths caused by the 31 foodborne hazards were reported in 2010, and the global burden of these diseases was 33 million disability adjusted life years – and the issue has been growing since. Therefore, prevention and control of foodborne diseases are essential to protect the human health. In fact, every person is at risk of foodborne disease, and it is difficult to estimate the accurate incidence of foodborne disease due to data quality, data variability and uncertainty, performance of developed predictive models etc. Therefore, there is a need to introduce improved methodologies for risk assessment of foodborne illnesses.
Microbiological risk assessment (MRA) is a science-based approach and powerful tool to evaluate and control microbiological risks associated with foodborne microbiological hazards. Even though many concepts developed for MRA parallel those in chemical risk assessment, there are several features particular for microbes compared to chemicals. For instance, the physiological state of bacteria, the external environment and operation details in each unit affect the growth or inactivation of microorganisms. Subsequently, the final food matrix at time of consumption can present a risk as well. MRA mainly consists of four steps: hazard identification, exposure assessment, hazard characterization and risk characterization. During exposure assessment, predictive models are used to qualify the growth/inactivation of bacteria in food matrix. Based on the determined hazard and exposure, dose-response model is used to estimate the probability and severity of a disease caused by the target hazard. Finally, the overall probability and severity of illness development is generated through the scenario of the designed risk assessment model by professional risk analysis software.
In brief, MRA requires high data input to provide relevant results. However, when conducting classical risk assessment, methods of bacteria identification and monitoring, and consequently of obtaining data required for risk assessment, are varied. Moreover, the current risk assessment approach and related fundamental research is challenged by recent scientific and technical advances, and public demands. Science has evolved over the last decade, for instance, modern technologies could investigate microorganisms easily at molecular level. There is a need to update the related fundamental research for risk assessment of microbiological hazards. This Topic, therefore, focuses on current advances of research related to microbiological risk assessment. In particular, the following themes are of interest:
• Improving exposure assessment step of MRA through predictive microbiology, quantifying microbiological hazards in food products under complex and changeable environment of the whole food chain.
• Supporting MRA in hazard identification through improved monitoring methods, providing more detailed monitoring data and analyses.
•Improving MRA and prevention approaches through development of new methodologies, considering the combined effects under different environmental scenarios.
• Reducing variability and uncertainty in MRA through applying emerging technologies, such as omics or bacteriophage-based methods, for rapid detection, isolation and identification of foodborne pathogens and associated risks.
Dr Forghani, one of the Editors of this Topic, is affiliated with IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group as a Research Scientist.
In the past decades, foodborne diseases have become a widespread public health issue all over the world. According to WHO, approximately 600 million foodborne illnesses and 420,000 deaths caused by the 31 foodborne hazards were reported in 2010, and the global burden of these diseases was 33 million disability adjusted life years – and the issue has been growing since. Therefore, prevention and control of foodborne diseases are essential to protect the human health. In fact, every person is at risk of foodborne disease, and it is difficult to estimate the accurate incidence of foodborne disease due to data quality, data variability and uncertainty, performance of developed predictive models etc. Therefore, there is a need to introduce improved methodologies for risk assessment of foodborne illnesses.
Microbiological risk assessment (MRA) is a science-based approach and powerful tool to evaluate and control microbiological risks associated with foodborne microbiological hazards. Even though many concepts developed for MRA parallel those in chemical risk assessment, there are several features particular for microbes compared to chemicals. For instance, the physiological state of bacteria, the external environment and operation details in each unit affect the growth or inactivation of microorganisms. Subsequently, the final food matrix at time of consumption can present a risk as well. MRA mainly consists of four steps: hazard identification, exposure assessment, hazard characterization and risk characterization. During exposure assessment, predictive models are used to qualify the growth/inactivation of bacteria in food matrix. Based on the determined hazard and exposure, dose-response model is used to estimate the probability and severity of a disease caused by the target hazard. Finally, the overall probability and severity of illness development is generated through the scenario of the designed risk assessment model by professional risk analysis software.
In brief, MRA requires high data input to provide relevant results. However, when conducting classical risk assessment, methods of bacteria identification and monitoring, and consequently of obtaining data required for risk assessment, are varied. Moreover, the current risk assessment approach and related fundamental research is challenged by recent scientific and technical advances, and public demands. Science has evolved over the last decade, for instance, modern technologies could investigate microorganisms easily at molecular level. There is a need to update the related fundamental research for risk assessment of microbiological hazards. This Topic, therefore, focuses on current advances of research related to microbiological risk assessment. In particular, the following themes are of interest:
• Improving exposure assessment step of MRA through predictive microbiology, quantifying microbiological hazards in food products under complex and changeable environment of the whole food chain.
• Supporting MRA in hazard identification through improved monitoring methods, providing more detailed monitoring data and analyses.
•Improving MRA and prevention approaches through development of new methodologies, considering the combined effects under different environmental scenarios.
• Reducing variability and uncertainty in MRA through applying emerging technologies, such as omics or bacteriophage-based methods, for rapid detection, isolation and identification of foodborne pathogens and associated risks.
Dr Forghani, one of the Editors of this Topic, is affiliated with IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group as a Research Scientist.
