Substantiation of ways to reduce contamination by bacteria of the genus Cronobacter of dry specialized products for baby food during their production

Prevention of morbidity in the child population from septic foodborne infections caused by the new bacterial pathogen Enterobacter sakazakii (according to the new classification - Cronobacter spp.) is becoming increasingly relevant due to an expanding contingent of susceptible individuals and the proven ability of low doses of the pathogen to quickly increase a population in dry specialized products for formula feeding after rehydration. In this regard, it is important to assess the risk of accumulation of thermoresistant coliform enterobacteria, including Cronobacter spp., in residual microflora of such products during their production in order to determine ways to minimize it. To identify a hazardous factor in specialized infant formula of domestic production, we summarized and analyzed expert data on contamination of 245 samples of infant formula and 182 cereals with the entire spectrum of coliform enterobacteria, which were previously identified as Enterobacter sakazakii (Cronobacter spp.). Cronobacter spp. was detected in 4 samples of instant formula (1.6 %) in amounts ranging from 0.04 to 0.5 CFU/g, which is above the hazardous level (≥ 0.003 CFU/g) for susceptible children. No pathogen was isolated from dry mixtures for cooking and instant porridges produced by dry mixing but the content of heat-resistant Enterobacter spp. was 10 times higher than those produced during the full cycle. Using a risk process model and assuming the content of coliforms in raw milk at the level of the regulated microbial number, probability of pathogen survival in dry mixtures was assessed under standard parameters of spray drying technology. The calculation results showed that under this scenario of raw material contamination, 0.3-0.5 CFU of heat-resistant E.sakazakii (Cronobacter spp.) can be retained in 1 g of a finished product. This substantiates the necessity to introduce the strongest possible requirements for the microbiological quality of raw milk.