This report was prepared to provide scientific advice to food safety risk managers in New Zealand Food Safety Authority on the feasibility of defining a "short shelf life" for ready-to-eat (RTE) foods that can support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, but during which growth might be so low as to cause no significant threat to public health.

Clostridium botulinum and related organisms are anaerobic bacteria that can grow in food and produce an extremely potent neurotoxin (BoNT) causing a food poisoning syndrome known as botulism. Internationally BoNT-producing organisms are of particular concern to seafood producers because one group of these organisms (Type E) naturally occurs in the marine environment and can grow and produce toxins at refrigerated temperatures. The aim of this research was to determine the prevalence of BoNT-producing organisms in the New Zealand marine environment.

The production of sheep and lamb meat is a significant part of the economy of New Zealand. Technological advances over many years have enhanced the efficiency, productivity and hygiene of sheep meat production, none more so than the introduction of inverted dressing (Longdell, 1992) where the de-pelting operation starts at the cleaner end of the carcass, and the pelt is moved downwards towards the rear, more contaminated, end.

NZFSA commissioned Cawthron Research Institute to conduct a microbiological survey to determine the levels of total and pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) and Vibrio vulnificus (Vv) in Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) collected from commercial growing areas in the North Island of New Zealand.

The species is divided into serotypes on the basis of the O antigen. Cholera is typically associated with O1, but serotype O139 has also been the cause of many cases of cholera in Asia.

Scombroid poisoning occurs when raw scombroid fish is temperature abused allowing bacterial growth to occur with concomitant toxin production. Similar toxins can also be produced in other foods, notably cheese and other fermented foods. While histamine poisoning is well known and is by far the most important form, a range of different related toxins, known as biogenic amines, can cause disease. However, the actual nature of the toxin(s) is controversial.

This is one of two species of the “tubercle bacilli” (the other is M. tuberculosis) that are able to cause tuberculosis. Unlike M. tuberculosis, M. bovis infects cattle and other animals, and so the disease can be spread to humans via contaminated milk and
meat.

Enterobacter sakazakii was recently reclassified into eight distinct taxa of a new genus Cronobacter (Iversen et al., 2008). All have been linked retrospectively to clinical cases in adults and infants (FAO/WHO, 2008). To avoid confusion the organism will be referred to here as Cronobacter spp.

Arcobacter is a member of the Epsilobacteria group, which also includes Campylobacter and Helicobacter spp. It is distinguished from Campylobacter by being able to grow in the presence of oxygen (aerotolerant) and at 15ºC.

Aeromonas are Gram negative bacteria common in water and soil. The role of some Aeromonas species in rare but serious conditions including wound infections, necrosis, septicaemia and meningitis is well accepted. The role of Aeromonas in food and waterborne gastroenteritis remains hotly debated (Janda and Abbott, 2010).

The purpose of a Risk Profile is to provide contextual and background information relevant to a food/hazard combination so that risk managers can make decisions and, if necessary, take further action. Risk Profiles include elements of a qualitative risk assessment, as well as providing information relevant to risk management. Risk profiling may result in a range of activities e.g. immediate risk management action, a decision to conduct a quantitative risk assessment, or a programme to gather more data. Risk Profiles also provide information for ranking of food safety issues.

The purpose of a Risk Profile is to provide contextual and background information relevant to a food/hazard combination so that risk managers can make decisions and, if necessary, take further action. The place of a risk profile in the risk management process is described in “Food Administration in New Zealand: A Risk Management Framework for Food Safety” (Ministry of Health/Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2000). Figure 1 outlines the risk management process.

A new enrichment broth was introduced in the New Zealand red meat surveillance
programme for Escherichia coli O157:H7 in 2008. Modified TSB with novobiocin and
casamino acids (mTSB+NCA) replaced Modified EC (mEC) broth as the enrichment
media and the sample size to enrichment broth volume was changed from 125g per
1.125L to 375g per 1L.

These organisms form a diverse group of Escherichia coli that are capable of producing shigatoxin(s).

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a normal inhabitant of the intestines and is necessary for nutrition and intestinal health. It is the most common facultative anaerobic bacterium in the faeces of warm-blooded animals and humans.

The purpose of a Risk Profile is to provide contextual and background information relevant to a food/hazard combination so that risk managers can make decisions and, if necessary, take further action. Risk Profiles include elements of a qualitative risk assessment, as well as providing information relevant to risk management. Risk profiling may result in a range of activities e.g. immediate risk management action, a decision to conduct a quantitative risk assessment, or a programme to gather more data. Risk Profiles also provide information for ranking of food safety issues.