[Risk assessment of important pathogens in instant foods based on swift quantitative microbiological risk assessments...

To understand the contamination of important pathogens in instant foods, and to evaluate the risk of food contamination by various pathogenic bacteria.

From 2015 to 2023, 8 kinds of instant foods were randomly collected and detected for Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus saureus, Salmonella, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus cereus, and Escherichia coli, and the health risk of different food-pathogen combinations was evaluated by swift quantitative microbiological risk assessments(sQMRA)and matrix method.

All 6 foodborne pathogens were detected in instant foods. The detection rate of L. monocytogenes in Sushi was highest(2.85%, 13/456), the detection rate of V. parahaemolyticus in raw aquatic products was highest(14.76%, 58/393), the detection rate of S. aureus in sandwich was highest(7.95%, 29/365) and instant rice and the detection rate of B. cereus in noodle products was highest(4.52%, 9/199). It was estimated that 6 foodborne pathogens infected about 219 781 cases every year, and the incidence rate was 0.033 times per person-year. Deli meats and Chinese salads contaminated with L. monocytogenes could cause higher health risk.

There are generally health risks caused by pathogenic contamination of instant foods in Taizhou.