Abstract
Currently, food waste represents an important issue due to its negative economic, social and environmental impact. To reduce the food waste levels, some retailers’ brands implement discounting based on the proximity to expiry. Since this practice may involve potential food poisoning, a total of 94 food products from animal origin, purchased in two supermarkets in North Portugal on the expiry date, were analyzed for selected foodborne and spoilage microorganisms. Moreover, the samples were classified as satisfactory and not satisfactory according to their microbiological quality. The results showed that none of the samples presented counts for Salmonella spp., S. aureus, B. cereus. L. monocytogenes was detected in one sample over the limit of 2 log cfu/g as defined by Regulation 2073/2005. The evaluation of food hygiene and spoilage indicators showed that the processed foods displayed lower counts than raw products (beef, pork, chicken and fish). Regarding Enterobacteriaceae, raw products presented on average over 2 log cfu/g than processed foods, with the exception of beef samples that accounted over 3 log cfu/g more than processed foods. In addition, E. coli was mainly detected in fresh meat of which chicken and pork displayed the highest counts. Regarding the qualitative classification, 51.06% of the samples were not satisfactory for the total mesophilic counts, while 62.76% and 58.51% displayed positive results for Enterobacteriaceae and molds and yeasts (M&Y) criteria, respectively. In all, 70.21% of the samples analyzed at the expiry date failed, at least, in one microbiological criterion. The results indicate that the foods available at the end of the shelf life in supermarkets do not represent a risk for food poisoning due to the absence of foodborne pathogens. Since the microbiological indicators of storage/handling of raw products were mainly unsatisfactory, this indicates that the sale of these perishable foods at the end of the shelf life may not be recommended. On the other hand, processed products subjected to food conservation procedures (i.e., thermal processing) could be sold at the end of their shelf life or donated beyond the best-before date, due to its physical, chemical and microbiological stability. However, evidences of foodborne outbreaks associated to this kind of foodstuffs indicated the need of a proper risk assessment. Moreover, it is important to remark that other factors such as small sample size, the absence of the evaluation of the handling, and storage conditions along the food chain or organoleptic alterations must be assessed in further studies.
Highlights
In the European Union (EU), food labels have to mention the date of minimum durability or the ‘use by’ as defined by law [1]
The microbiological evaluation of 94 food products purchased at the retail level on the expiry date (Table 2) showed that none of them presented counts for Salmonella spp., S. aureus and B. cereus
The results showed that the risk of food poisoning is low since Salmonella spp., E. coli, L. monocytogenes and S. aureus were not detected
Summary
In the European Union (EU), food labels have to mention the date of minimum durability or the ‘use by’ as defined by law [1]. Food-labeling policy indicates some variations in the type of expression according to the food durability as well the absence of the compulsory mention of the date of minimum durability in specific foods. The differences among the “best before” and “used by” have created some misinterpretations among consumers between what is edible and what is not [3]. This is supported by the lack of interest of consumers in the reading of the mentions displayed in food labels [4].
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