Salmonella and low moisture foods- testing the right way!
Bobby Krishna
Ferrero has informed Belgian authorities that it has found Salmonella at the site that was behind a major outbreak in 2022.
The confectionery company notified the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) of the Salmonella detection in the environment of the Arlon factory. It is not clear when the Salmonella positive was found, when authorities were told or whether it is the same type that was behind the outbreak.
FASFC, also known as AFSCA and FAVV, said an investigation is ongoing but no products have tested positive and based on currently available information, no end product which could potentially be contaminated has reached the consumer.
How to look for the right organisms in Low Moisture Food facilities
- Finished product testing is of limited interest in case of low prevalence contamination. Check the production environment
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Prevalence of pathogens of concerns for low moisture foods is considered through investigation of the reported foodborne outbreaks.
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Processing environment monitoring through surface swabbing is a proactive approach of interest to anticipate product contamination through identification of harbourage niches.
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Sampling should consider both product proximity and priority depending on hygienic conditions, place in the process (before or after heat treatment).
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Genetic characterisation of isolates provides interesting insights for understanding the difference between resident and sporadic strains in a processing environment.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016816052100310X