The study was carried out by national food safety authorities, including Germany’s BfR, France’s ANSES and Ireland’s FSAI, with support from EFSA’s Focal Point Tailor-made Activities programme. Products were tested close to or at the end of their stated shelf life, allowing researchers to assess contamination under conditions representing a higher-risk scenario.

The findings suggest that microbiological quality depends largely on factors such as product composition, manufacturing processes and storage conditions. The researchers also noted that some plant-based products have physico-chemical characteristics that may allow microorganisms to grow under certain conditions.

The authors recommend maintaining risk-based surveillance for pathogens including Salmonella and Listeria across this diverse and expanding product category. They also stress that the conclusions represent the assessment of the participating researchers.

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