Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria, and Spoilage Flora: Who Wins the Battle? S. Sandberg, S. Anderson, and M. Coleman, Framingham State College, and U.S. Department of Agriculture
Microbial risk assessments in food safety have thus far focused on one pathogen in one specific food item, for example, Salmonella in eggs or Escherichia coli in ground beef. Animals food products, however, are environments rich in microbial diversity where numerous, diverse bacterial populations can co-exist. Using mathematical modeling and Monte Carlo simulations, we explored the potential interactions, and the dynamics of the growth and/or decline of Campylobacter, Listeria Monocytogenes, Salmonella sp. and the spoilage microflora as competing populations on raw poultry. We followed these populations from the chill bath in a processing plant until it is prepared for cooking. For each of the following environments, a probability distribution representing the mean air temperature and its uncertainty was used: Transportation from processor to market, Storage at market, Transportation from store to home, and Refrigerator in consumer’s home. A probability model was used to approximate the various processing and handling conditions. Equations were developed for the growth and interactions of the bacterial populations. We conclude that the interactions of microbial populations should be considered when proposing a food safety regulation or conducting a risk assessment. More basic research is needed, especially experimental studies, to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the competition between diverse bacterial populations under realistic food handling situations.
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