Question

Absence of Salmonella spp. in ____ g of sweetened condensed milk is considered as a food safety criteria as per FSSAI specifications.

• A. 125
• B. 10
• C. 25
• D. 5

Hint:

Remember the FSSAI regulatory standard for zero-tolerance pathogens:
- Both Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes must be Absent in 25 g (or 25 mL) in all finished dairy products.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Food safety criteria define the acceptable limits for highly pathogenic microorganisms whose presence in food poses an immediate threat to consumer health.
For virulent pathogens like Salmonella, regulatory bodies enforce a zero-tolerance standard, requiring complete absence in a standardized sample size.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze the FSSAI microbiological guidelines for sweetened condensed milk:
- Salmonella is a major foodborne pathogen responsible for salmonellosis and typhoid-like gastroenteritis.
- Because sweetened condensed milk is often consumed directly or used in infant foods and desserts without further cooking, FSSAI maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy for this pathogen.
- Under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, the specified sample size for testing the presence or absence of Salmonella in condensed milk is 25 grams.
- The standard requires that Salmonella must be completely absent in this 25 g sample:
\[ \text{Salmonella Limit} = \text{Absent in 25 g} \quad (n = 5, \ c = 0) \]
This means all 5 samples collected from a lot must show zero presence of Salmonella in their respective 25 g test aliquots.
Testing larger or smaller aliquot sizes (such as 5 g or 10 g) does not align with the standard regulatory protocol.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The absence of Salmonella in 25 g of sweetened condensed milk is required to meet the FSSAI food safety criteria.