Álvarez-Ordóñez Avelino, Leong Dara, Hickey Bernadette, Beaufort Annie, Jordan Kieran
Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland.
Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland.
Food Res Int. 2015 Sep;75:233-243. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2015.06.004. Epub 2015 Jun 6.
European Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 lays down the microbiological criteria for certain microorganisms in foods and the implementing rules to be complied with by food business operators (FBOs) in Europe when implementing general and specific hygiene measures. In relation to Listeria monocytogenes, this regulation covers primarily ready-to-eat (RTE) food products, and requires different microbiological criteria depending on the ability of the food product to support growth of L. monocytogenes. In addition, this regulation establishes that food safety is the responsibility of the FBO. The FBO can conduct studies to evaluate the growth of L. monocytogenes that may be present in the product during the shelf-life under reasonably foreseeable storage conditions of distribution, storage and use in order to investigate compliance with the criteria throughout the shelf-life of the product. The European Union Community Reference Laboratory for L. monocytogenes published a revised technical guidance document in June 2014 for conducting shelf-life studies on L. monocytogenes in RTE foods. This review article describes the recently published European guidance document, with special focus on the design of challenge studies to determine the growth potential of L. monocytogenes on foods. Information is given particularly on what a challenge test is and when one is advisable. The factors to be considered and the laboratory methodology to be applied when performing a challenge test to determine the growth potential of L. monocytogenes in a defined food matrix are also described. Results of recent research articles applying challenge tests to determine the growth of L. monocytogenes in a range of foodstuffs are summarized and discussed. Finally, recommendations for obtaining data that can contribute to any further revision of the guidance document and for addressing the main challenges of challenge testing for FBOs are presented.
欧洲法规（EC）No. 2073/2005规定了食品中某些微生物的微生物标准以及欧洲食品经营者（FBOs）在实施一般和特定卫生措施时应遵守的实施规则。关于单核细胞增生李斯特菌，该法规主要涵盖即食（RTE）食品，并根据食品支持单核细胞增生李斯特菌生长的能力要求不同的微生物标准。此外，该法规规定食品安全是食品经营者的责任。食品经营者可以进行研究，以评估在合理可预见的分销、储存和使用储存条件下产品保质期内可能存在的单核细胞增生李斯特菌的生长情况，以便调查产品在整个保质期内是否符合标准。欧洲联盟单核细胞增生李斯特菌社区参考实验室于2014年6月发布了一份修订后的技术指导文件，用于对即食食品中的单核细胞增生李斯特菌进行保质期研究。这篇综述文章描述了最近发布的欧洲指导文件，特别关注用于确定单核细胞增生李斯特菌在食品上生长潜力的挑战研究设计。特别介绍了什么是挑战试验以及何时进行挑战试验是可取的。还描述了在进行挑战试验以确定单核细胞增生李斯特菌在特定食品基质中的生长潜力时应考虑的因素和应应用的实验室方法。总结并讨论了最近应用挑战试验确定单核细胞增生李斯特菌在一系列食品中生长情况的研究文章结果。最后，提出了获取有助于进一步修订指导文件的数据的建议，以及应对食品经营者挑战试验主要挑战的建议。
