IAFNS-supported research on powdered products safety checks shows that some methods are more powerful at catching contaminants than others. Spacing out samples over time, called “stratified” sampling, is better at catching risky pathogens like Cronobacter than random sampling.
Formula producers have comprehensive food safety systems that include control points like milk pasteurization and steps to prevent contamination. Product testing is an additional tool producers use to verify these other systems are working. It is important that testing is powerful enough to catch a major failure before a potentially risky product is released to customers.
The paper “Simulation Evaluation of Power of Sampling Plans to Detect Cronobacter in Powdered Infant Formula Production” was supported by IAFNS’ Food Microbiology Committee. This paper used computer models to simulate sampling and testing finished formula, to see the power of current national and international guidelines for testing programs, and how one could do better.
This project was supported by IAFNS’ Food Microbiology Committee.