ABSTRACT
The increasing availability of ready-to-use (RTU) and ready-to-eat (RTE) foods reflects consumer demand for convenient foods. In addition to convenience, consumers are also looking for RTE foods that are fresh, healthy, safe, additive free, and nutritious. Microbiological data from food-borne disease outbreaks have indicated that microorganisms play a very important role of the incidence. In Taiwan, Republic of China, the most frequent causes were attributable to Vibrio parahaemolyticus, followed by Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. Salmonella spp., Campylobacter, and Escherichia coli O157 were the causative agents for most food-borne illness in Scotland. In the years 1990 to 2000, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a total of 8797 food-borne outbreaks in the U.S., with Salmonella responsible for 1138 outbreaks (13% of the total 144outbreaks). Detection of pathogens including B. cereus, E. coli, E. coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and S. aureus on various types of RTE foods, such as 18°C products, are discussed. Risk assessment is the estimation of severity and the likelihood of harm resulting from exposure to a hazard. Four steps, including hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure characterization, and risk characterization are involved in the risk assessment process. Microbiological risk assessments of pathogens including L. monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., E. coli O157:H7, B. cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio spp., Campylobacter, and Clostridium have been published. The relationship between the hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) system and microbiological quality of RTE foods is discussed. Because microbiological quality can be improved by implementing HACCP, the incidence of food-borne disease could also be reduced by HACCP implementation.
