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Quantitative microbial risk assessment: review of three models about Salmonella in foodstuffs

Abstract:

Following international agreements and european legislation, risk analysis has become a systematic approach to control the food chain safety. The microbial risks in the food chain and their consequences for public health can be assessed and managed more effectively. This paper gives a general description of the risk analysis principles based on the Codex Alimentarius commission. This work highlights the advantages and disadvantages of risk analysis and also treats the problems to achieve a complete "farm to fork" model. Salmonella in different food types is taken as an example to illustrate quantitative risk assessment. Two models concerning eggs and broiler chickens developed by the World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization consortium and a third model concerning pigs developed by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency of the United Kingdom are described. An analysis of the methods used for the construction of these two models is also presented. The interest of these three models is that they also include risk management options to limit the spread of food-borne infections. They also describe the final risk for a population following consumption of foodstuffs. These models are valuable tools for health officials but also for feed industry.