Estimating the rejection risk of Indonesian shrimp exports from Salmonella spp. contamination using the food safety objective approach

Abstract

Contamination by non-typhoidal Salmonella spp. in aquacultured shrimp poses a risk for human health. In Indonesia, the presence of the pathogen in shrimp raises a major concern for international trade because shrimp is one of the important exported fishery commodities. The aim of this study was to use food safety objective approach in combination with a quantitative microbiological risk assessment to determine the contamination of Salmonella spp. in raw materials, to estimate the risk of export rejection and to identify the contributing factors of export rejections. The prevalence and concentration of Salmonella spp. in shrimp based on real-time polymerase chain reaction of 7.02% and 0.72–1.46 log CFU/gr (mean: 1.00 ± 0.28 log CFU/g), respectively, were used to develop an exposure model. The exposure model was used to estimate the level of Salmonella spp. in frozen shrimp at the border of an export destination country, which was ca. −6.02 to −2.07 (mean −3.73 ± 0.73) log CFU/g. The value was compared to the food safety objective value determined from the required microbiological criterion of Salmonella spp. of n = 30, c = 0, and m = negative/25 g. As a result, the risk estimate for rejection was 27 rejections per 100,000 exports. The Salmonella spp. contamination level in raw materials and freezing technology were the primary factors contributing to the rejections. Moreover, maintaining the quality control of raw materials purchased or controlled quick freezing may be the mitigation formulae of export rejection of frozen shrimp due to Salmonella spp.