Figure 1.

Food chain exposure assessment. This involves input data consisting of food consumption data and microbial growth data together with associated food inherent, environmental and process induced factors influencing microbial growth $\left(I\right)$ or reduction $\left(R\right)$ in any of the stages of the food chain including processing, distribution, retail and consumer level. The final concentration at exposure consists of initial contamination $\left(Ho\right)$ plus the total increase $(\sum I)$, minus total reduction $(\sum R)$. Use of molecular data will support exposure assessment for strain or microbial population subgroup i.