A Quantitative Risk Assessment Model for <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> in Non-Ready-to-Eat Frozen Vegetables

A quantitative risk assessment (QRA) model was developed to evaluate the risk of invasive listeriosis from the consumption of non-ready-to-eat (non-RTE) frozen vegetables. On a lot basis, the QRA model simulates <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> concentration and prevalence in a “Processing...

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Main Authors: Ursula Gonzales-Barron, Régis Pouillot, Juliana De Oliveira Mota, Akio Hasegawa, Ana Allende, Qingli Dong, Matthew J. Stasiewicz, Jovana Kovacevic, Vasco Cadavez, Laurent Guillier, Moez Sanaa
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Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Foods
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/22/3610
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author Ursula Gonzales-Barron
Régis Pouillot
Juliana De Oliveira Mota
Akio Hasegawa
Ana Allende
Qingli Dong
Matthew J. Stasiewicz
Jovana Kovacevic
Vasco Cadavez
Laurent Guillier
Moez Sanaa
author_facet Ursula Gonzales-Barron
Régis Pouillot
Juliana De Oliveira Mota
Akio Hasegawa
Ana Allende
Qingli Dong
Matthew J. Stasiewicz
Jovana Kovacevic
Vasco Cadavez
Laurent Guillier
Moez Sanaa
author_sort Ursula Gonzales-Barron
collection DOAJ
description A quantitative risk assessment (QRA) model was developed to evaluate the risk of invasive listeriosis from the consumption of non-ready-to-eat (non-RTE) frozen vegetables. On a lot basis, the QRA model simulates <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> concentration and prevalence in a “Processing module” that comprises blanching, potential recontamination and packaging, any post-packaging inactivation treatment, and within-lot end-product testing and in a subsequent “Consumer’s handling module” that encompasses portioning of frozen vegetables, defrosting, and cooking. Based on available published data, the model was coded in nine sequential R functions designed to assess the effectiveness of blanching, the improvement in processing environment hygiene, the implementation of sampling schemes at the end of processing, and improved consumer instructions on the product’s package. In a reference scenario, the model estimated that 9.4% of 500 g packages of frozen vegetables would be contaminated, although at mean levels lower than 10 CFU/g, and assuming that 20% of the portions of frozen vegetables would be left to thaw at room temperature for 2 h, the lot-level mean risk of listeriosis in the susceptible population would be 2.935 × 10<sup>−14</sup> (median 5.446 × 10<sup>−15</sup>) for uncooked 50 g servings and 2.765 × 10<sup>−17</sup> (median 5.184 × 10<sup>−18</sup>) for cooked 50 g servings. Analysis of selected scenarios suggested that not cooking the non-RTE product contributes to the risk to a greater extent than the level of contamination in the incoming raw vegetables, the latter in turn being more influential than the level of contamination in the processing environment. The QRA model is freely available as an R package with full documentation and can be used as a tool to inform the consideration of strengthened risk management measures in view of the current changes in consumer behavior and new diet trends.
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spelling doaj-art-54ef91ba48fc4fec952e9e3cfaad39212025-08-20T01:53:53ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582024-11-011322361010.3390/foods13223610A Quantitative Risk Assessment Model for <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> in Non-Ready-to-Eat Frozen VegetablesUrsula Gonzales-Barron0Régis Pouillot1Juliana De Oliveira Mota2Akio Hasegawa3Ana Allende4Qingli Dong5Matthew J. Stasiewicz6Jovana Kovacevic7Vasco Cadavez8Laurent Guillier9Moez Sanaa10Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, PortugalIndependent Researcher, 18 rue Mohamed Al Ghazi, Rabat 10170, MoroccoNutrition and Food Safety Department, World Health Organization, 1202 Geneva, SwitzerlandNutrition and Food Safety Department, World Health Organization, 1202 Geneva, SwitzerlandCentro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEBAS-CSIC), Campus de Espinardo, 25, 30100 Murcia, SpainSchool of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, ChinaDepartment of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61801, USAFood Innovation Center, Oregon State University, Portland, OR 97209, USACentro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, PortugalRisk Assessment Department, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (Anses), 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie Maisons-Alfort, 94701 Maisons-Alfort, FranceNutrition and Food Safety Department, World Health Organization, 1202 Geneva, SwitzerlandA quantitative risk assessment (QRA) model was developed to evaluate the risk of invasive listeriosis from the consumption of non-ready-to-eat (non-RTE) frozen vegetables. On a lot basis, the QRA model simulates <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> concentration and prevalence in a “Processing module” that comprises blanching, potential recontamination and packaging, any post-packaging inactivation treatment, and within-lot end-product testing and in a subsequent “Consumer’s handling module” that encompasses portioning of frozen vegetables, defrosting, and cooking. Based on available published data, the model was coded in nine sequential R functions designed to assess the effectiveness of blanching, the improvement in processing environment hygiene, the implementation of sampling schemes at the end of processing, and improved consumer instructions on the product’s package. In a reference scenario, the model estimated that 9.4% of 500 g packages of frozen vegetables would be contaminated, although at mean levels lower than 10 CFU/g, and assuming that 20% of the portions of frozen vegetables would be left to thaw at room temperature for 2 h, the lot-level mean risk of listeriosis in the susceptible population would be 2.935 × 10<sup>−14</sup> (median 5.446 × 10<sup>−15</sup>) for uncooked 50 g servings and 2.765 × 10<sup>−17</sup> (median 5.184 × 10<sup>−18</sup>) for cooked 50 g servings. Analysis of selected scenarios suggested that not cooking the non-RTE product contributes to the risk to a greater extent than the level of contamination in the incoming raw vegetables, the latter in turn being more influential than the level of contamination in the processing environment. The QRA model is freely available as an R package with full documentation and can be used as a tool to inform the consideration of strengthened risk management measures in view of the current changes in consumer behavior and new diet trends.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/22/3610frozen produceblanched vegetableslisteriosisexposure assessmentsimulation
spellingShingle Ursula Gonzales-Barron
Régis Pouillot
Juliana De Oliveira Mota
Akio Hasegawa
Ana Allende
Qingli Dong
Matthew J. Stasiewicz
Jovana Kovacevic
Vasco Cadavez
Laurent Guillier
Moez Sanaa
A Quantitative Risk Assessment Model for <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> in Non-Ready-to-Eat Frozen Vegetables
Foods
frozen produce
blanched vegetables
listeriosis
exposure assessment
simulation
title A Quantitative Risk Assessment Model for <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> in Non-Ready-to-Eat Frozen Vegetables
title_full A Quantitative Risk Assessment Model for <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> in Non-Ready-to-Eat Frozen Vegetables
title_fullStr A Quantitative Risk Assessment Model for <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> in Non-Ready-to-Eat Frozen Vegetables
title_full_unstemmed A Quantitative Risk Assessment Model for <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> in Non-Ready-to-Eat Frozen Vegetables
title_short A Quantitative Risk Assessment Model for <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> in Non-Ready-to-Eat Frozen Vegetables
title_sort quantitative risk assessment model for i listeria monocytogenes i in non ready to eat frozen vegetables
topic frozen produce
blanched vegetables
listeriosis
exposure assessment
simulation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/13/22/3610
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