Study on Food consumption behavior for Microbiological Risk assessment

Abstract

       The food consumption behavior is an important factor for microbiological risk assessment. The questionnaire for the study on feeding behavior of infant formula milk powder was designed in 2008 by the Bureau of Quality and Safety of Food. Data from 1,000 infant caregivers, were used for the calculation of pathogenic exposure and could be explained for hazard identification. The results showed that the probability for the feeding of milk powder only and milk powder with breast milk were 0.4570 and 0.2320, respectively. The frequency of feeding per day is 4, 5 and 8 times (20.45%, 17.49% and 16.48%), respectively. The consumption behavior data, infant’s birth rate, the contamination of Bacillus cereus in infant formula milk powder were studied with other information such as the condition of growth and survival of B. cereus, water activity (Aw). Risk assessment or predication of illness from B. cereus infection, more than 100 colony forming unit per gram, was 427 infants per 100,000 capita. Accordingly, the questionnaire can be used for this risk assessment as well as be a model for other microbial risk assessment.