Question

Food Safety Standards Authority of India has included the following pathogens in the food safety criteria of pasteurised milk.

• A. Bacillus cereus and sulphite reducing Clostridia
• B. Bacillus cereus and Listeria monocytogenes
• C. Salmonella spp. and Bacillus cereus
• D. Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes

Hint:

Remember the zero-tolerance pathogens for liquid pasteurized milk under FSSAI regulations:
- Salmonella spp. \(\rightarrow\) Absent in 25 mL.
- Listeria monocytogenes \(\rightarrow\) Absent in 25 mL.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Regulatory authorities establish microbiological standards to ensure the safety and quality of food products.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) defines specific microbiological criteria for dairy products, dividing them into process hygiene criteria and food safety criteria.
- Process hygiene criteria monitor the hygiene of the manufacturing process (e.g., Coliform count, Standard Plate Count).
- Food safety criteria focus on pathogenic microorganisms whose presence poses a direct threat to public health.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Under the FSSAI microbiological guidelines for pasteurized milk, strict limits are set for highly virulent foodborne pathogens.
Pasteurization is designed to destroy all vegetative pathogens.
Therefore, the presence of major pathogens indicates either pasteurization failure or post-treatment recontamination.
-Target Pathogens:
FSSAI mandates the complete absence of two major foodborne pathogens in pasteurized milk:
1. Salmonella species: Gram-negative enteric bacilli responsible for salmonellosis and typhoid-like gastroenteritis.
2. Listeria monocytogenes: A Gram-positive psychrotrophic pathogen that can grow at refrigeration temperatures, causing severe listeriosis in vulnerable populations.
The regulations require these pathogens to be completely absent in a 25 mL or 25 g sample of pasteurized milk (\(c = 0, m = 0\)).
While Bacillus cereus and sulphite-reducing Clostridia are also monitored in certain dried or infant dairy products, they are not part of the strict food safety criteria for liquid pasteurized milk.

Step 3: Final Answer:
FSSAI includes Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes in the food safety criteria for pasteurized milk.