Non-cultivable foodborne pathogens, such as enteric viruses and protozoan parasites like Cyclospora, present unique challenges in our food system due to significant limitations in sampling and detection. This article covers the methodological drawbacks of current methods related to interpretation of results and public health risk, while offering alternative food safety management principles to address the prevalence of these pathogens in food.

Food safety professionals have always been faced with “difficult to inactivate” pathogens, most of which have provided the motivation for the historical development of food processing technologies ranging from commercial sterilization to ionizing radiation.