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Microorganisms, and in particular Enterobacter sakazakii, in powdered infant formula are considered to be an emerging public health issue. This issue was recently brought to the attention of the Codex Alimentarius, which has decided to revise its Recommended International Code of Hygienic Practices for Foods for Infants and Children in order to address concerns raised by pathogens that may be present in infant formula. FAO and WHO convened an expert meeting with the objective of providing scientific advice to facilitate this revision process. This volume reports on the findings of that meeting.
E. sakazakii has caused disease in all age groups. Statistics indicate that infants, in particular pre-term, underweight or immunocompromised infants, are at greatest risk. Powdered infant formula is not a sterile product and may occasionally contain pathogens even when it meets the current Codex standards. This report looks at a range of control strategies during both manufacture and subsequent use of powdered infant formula that may be implemented to minimize the risk.
This volume and others in this Microbiological Risk Assessment Series contain information that is useful to both risk assessors and risk managers, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, governments and food regulatory agencies, industries, care givers to infants and other people or institutions with an interest in the area of microorganisms in powdered infant formula, their impact on public health and food trade, and potential control strategies.
