A recent survey of the low-moisture food industry and relevant stakeholders has revealed the sector’s key food safety challenges and research needs. The study was supported by a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) grant.
Low-moisture foods, defined as those with a water activity of 0.85 or less, have been involved in multiple, significant foodborne illness outbreaks in recent years; most notably, the 2022 foodborne illness outbreak linked to infant formula contaminated by Cronobacter sakazakii and the subsequent supply shortage. Other incidents have involved flour, powdered infant formula, peanut butter, and dried coconut. Recent research has estimated that flour-related foodborne illnesses alone cost the U.S. around $108 million annually.