Microbial Performance of Food Safety Control and Assurance Activities in a Fresh Produce Processing Sector Measured...

Area of Science:

• Food Safety
• Microbiology
• Statistical Modeling

Background:

• Current food safety systems, including inspections and audits, are insufficient for detecting microbial contamination dynamics in fresh produce.
• Foodborne outbreaks linked to fresh produce remain a concern despite existing management systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically assess the microbial performance of control and assurance activities in Kenyan fresh produce processing companies.
• To identify critical sampling locations (CSLs) and environmental factors contributing to microbial contamination.

Main Methods:

• A microbial assessment scheme and statistical modeling, including generalized linear mixed models and correlated random-effects joint models, were employed.
• Empirical Bayes estimates were used to analyze contamination probabilities across CSLs and factories.

Main Results:

• Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were absent in final products, but no processor achieved maximum safety levels for environmental samples.
• Escherichia coli was detected in most CSLs and final products, with hand/glove swabs showing high contamination.
• End products had a higher probability of low food safety compared to raw materials, with E. coli found in final products even when raw materials were negative.

Conclusions:

• Environmental and personnel hygiene are critical for preventing microbial contamination in fresh produce processing.
• Preventive and intervention measures, particularly those related to personnel and equipment hygiene, require enhancement.
• The study highlights deficiencies in microbial control within the fresh produce supply chain, necessitating improved hygiene practices.