Advances in multi-omics based quantitative microbial risk assessment in the dairy sector: A semi-systematic review

Authors: JOSHI, AKANKSHA - National Institute Of Food Technology Entrepreneurship And Management(NIFTEM); BHARDWAJ, DINESH - National Institute Of Food Technology Entrepreneurship And Management(NIFTEM); KAUSHIK, ABHISHEK - National Institute Of Food Technology Entrepreneurship And Management(NIFTEM); Juneja, Vijay; THAKUR, SHEETAL - Maharishi University; TANEJA, NEETU KUMRA - National Institute Of Food Technology Entrepreneurship And Management(NIFTEM)

Submitted to: Food Research International
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/27/2022
Publication Date: 5/2/2022
Citation: Joshi, A., Bhardwaj, D., Kaushik, A., Juneja, V.K., Thakur, S., Taneja, N. 2022. Advances in multi-omics based quantitative microbial risk assessment in the dairy sector: A semi-systematic review. Food Research International. 156:111323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111323.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111323

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: With the increasing consumption of packaged and ready-to-eat food products, the risk of foodborne illness has drastically increased and so has the dire need for proper management. The conventional Microbial Risk Assessment (MRA) investigations require prior knowledge of process flow, exposure, and hazard assessment throughout the supply chain. These data are often generated using conventional microbiological approaches based either on shelf-life studies or specific spoilage organisms (SSOs), overlooking the information on drug resistance, biofilm formation, virulence factors and other physiological variations in conjugation with bio-chemical characteristics of food matrix. Furthermore, the microbial risks are tempo-spatially multi-sourced and often are a cumulative product of several heterogenous micro-populations. Therefore, limiting the efficiency of preventive approaches and conventional MRA. In the last few decades, significant breakthroughs in molecular methods and continuously progressing bioinformatics tools have opened up a new horizon for risk analysis-based approaches in food safety. RT-PCR and kit-based assays provide better accuracy and precision with shorter processing time. Despite these improvements, the effect of complex food matrix on growth environment and recovery of pathogen is a persistent problem for risk assessors. The dairy industry is highly impacted by spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, this review discusses the evolution and recent advances in MRA methodologies equipped with predictive interventions and “multi-omics” approach for robust MRA specifically targeting dairy products. It also highlights the limiting gap area and the opportunity for improvement in this field to ensure precision food safety.