Hitchins A D, Whiting R C
Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Washington, DC, USA.
Food Addit Contam. 2001 Dec;18(12):1108-17. doi: 10.1080/02652030110050104.
Listeria monocytogenes is ubiquitous in the environment and in food processing plants. Consequently, foods are frequently contaminated. However, the occurrence rate of listeriosis is only about five cases per million people per year. Listeriosis primarily strikes immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women and the elderly with a fatality rate of 20-25%. The FDA is in the process of finishing a risk assessment that is being conducted as an initial step in reviewing its approach to maximizing the public protection from foodborne L. monocytogenes. The risk assessment evaluated the presence and quantitative levels of L. monocytogenes in 21 groups of ready-to-eat foods. The potential growth of L. monocytogenes between retail point-of-sale, where contamination data originated, and consumption was modelled. The frequency and amount of consumption of these foods completed the data for the exposure assessment. For the hazard characterization or dose response part of the risk assessment, data from animal studies, virulence assays and epidemiological investigations were used to estimate the likelihood of illness for different human groups from consuming different numbers of L. monocytogenes. This risk assessment is a virtual review of current scientific knowledge. Quantitative modelling provides greater insight than a qualitative review and also indicates the uncertainty about our knowledge. The risk assessment does not attempt to define an acceptable or tolerable level of L. monocytogenes consumption or propose changes in regulations. These decisions are the responsibility of risk managers who consider additional factors such as food preferences, technical feasibility and societal values when evaluating regulatory policies.
单核细胞增生李斯特菌在环境和食品加工厂中普遍存在。因此，食品经常受到污染。然而，李斯特菌病的发病率仅约为每年每百万人中有5例。李斯特菌病主要侵袭免疫功能低下的个体、孕妇和老年人，死亡率为20%-25%。美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）正在完成一项风险评估，该评估是审查其最大化保护公众免受食源性单核细胞增生李斯特菌侵害方法的第一步。该风险评估评估了21类即食食品中单核细胞增生李斯特菌的存在情况和定量水平。对单核细胞增生李斯特菌在污染数据来源的零售销售点和消费之间的潜在生长进行了建模。这些食品的消费频率和消费量完善了暴露评估的数据。在风险评估的危害特征描述或剂量反应部分，利用动物研究、毒力测定和流行病学调查的数据来估计不同人群食用不同数量单核细胞增生李斯特菌后患疾病的可能性。这项风险评估是对当前科学知识的一次虚拟审查。定量建模比定性审查能提供更深入的见解，也表明了我们知识的不确定性。该风险评估并未试图确定可接受或可容忍的单核细胞增生李斯特菌消费水平，也未提议更改法规。这些决策由风险管理者负责，他们在评估监管政策时会考虑其他因素，如食品偏好、技术可行性和社会价值观。
