Microbiological criteria of ready-to-eat food

Fernando M. A. Bernardo, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UTL

The microbiological evaluation of some of the "ready-to-eat” foods is an invaluable resource in ensuring they meet health standards and inspecting the levels of hygiene in the manufacturing processes.

The systematic study of microbes in foods began more than a century ago, but the structuring of modern food microbiology only emerged about seven decades ago. Over this period an outstanding body of knowledge has been produced that allows us to envisage today the microbial colonisation of foods based on a sound scientific approach and with well-established pathways. The annual occurrence of many thousands of cases of illness resulting from eating food contaminated with pathogenic agents is the pretext and the motor for all inspection and control procedures that are systematically set in motion by the operators and authorities, in order to ensure that food does not have abnormal microbial levels when placed on the market for sale or when consumed.

The search to establish qualitative and quantitative limits for food microbes began early on in history. Those values had a practical effect on whether food was considered acceptable or not, however complex their chemical composition or physical structure was. Hence, microbiological standards and criteria proliferated in all countries that were used as a reference to assess the state of conservation, hygiene and public safety of food, and those applying to ready-to-eat food being considered especially critical. Over time, the list of these standards has become impressive owing to its size and complexity. Nonetheless, this complexity did not always have the adequate scientific soundness and efficiency to guarantee the acceptability of those foods.

Following the occurrence of several food crises arising from serious outbreaks of disease in humans, caused by food borne Campylobacter spp. Salmonella sp., Listeria monocytogenes and strains of toxigenic E. coli, the whole public health safety policy was reconsidered in the European Community at the end of the last century. The publication of the "Food Law" in 2002, of EC Regulation No. 852/2004 of 29 April (Article 4(4) and Article 12) and EC Regulation No. 2073/2005 of 15 November with the amendments made by EC Regulation No. 1441/2007 of 5 December, brought about the desirable harmonisation of standards and microbiological criteria in the European Economic Area.

That harmonisation is essential to smooth market operation, safeguarding fair competition between operators and protecting consumers’ health. These standards are also internationally harmonised through the decisions of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The standards currently in force in the economic area of the European Union are based on extensive scientifically-based "risk assessments" conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), i.e. they possess adequate scientific consistency for the food supply reality of the current age.

These parameters are the ones to be used as a reference, and not others whose scientific consistency is likely to raise questions or, worse than that, may only prove to be a useless exercise that causes an irresponsible increase in costs. It is also manifest that regulations serve to harmonise control procedures conducted by the official authorities, ensuring respect for the "principle of equality" and of "proportionality". This occurs without prejudice to the specific needs experienced by the economic agents in supplementary microbiological assessment adjusted to the undertaking of the respective business activity.

The official microbiological parameters currently in force do not include inconsistent scientific values, and so they cannot be considered insufficient. Microbiological criteria, as already mentioned , are legal requirements and an essential means to assess and ensure the safety of food, especially those deemed critical, such as ready-to-eat products, and the conditions of hygiene in their manufacture, although these may often only be useful as a historical reference (records). These parameters also assist in taking corrective action in cases of non-conformities and in the review of HACCP. They contribute to the transparency of trade relations and fair competition.

They are instruments of the relationship with the authorities responsible for the official control. They are resources that facilitate the functioning of the global market and assist the health authorities in investigating outbreaks of some food borne illnesses.