BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – Dried fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices are used in a vast range of ready-to-eat (RTE) and non-RTE foods. Their low water activity limits microbial growth, but it does not remove risk: bacterial pathogens can survive in these ingredients for extended periods. A new review published by ILSI Europe in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety summarises the microbiological hazards associated with dried ingredients and presents a qualitative, risk-based decision framework that food manufacturers and food service operators can use to rank those risks and identify appropriate mitigation strategies.
The review brings together the evidence on how three factors combine to determine foodborne illness risk: the virulence and levels of the pathogens involved, the way dried ingredients are incorporated into foods, and the subsequent handling of the finished product. It also examines the effectiveness of both conventional and emerging decontamination treatments for reducing pathogen levels in dried ingredients, giving food safety professionals a consolidated view of the control options available to them.
At the core of the paper is a structured decision framework that follows the ingredient supply chain from production and harvest through to packaging and handling of the finished product. It integrates available outbreak data, information on pathogen prevalence and levels, and product-specific data, and is illustrated with practical examples that demonstrate how to rank risks and select proportionate mitigation strategies for a given application.
The framework is designed to support the food manufacturing and food service sectors with a transparent, structured approach for evaluating, managing and communicating the pathogen risks associated with dry ingredients — from setting supplier specifications to deciding whether a decontamination step is warranted for a particular use. The paper also offers a common reference point for discussions between industry, regulators and auditors, while pointing academia towards the data gaps that would most improve future risk assessments.
The work was carried out by the Dried Ingredients Expert Group of the ILSI Europe Microbiological Food Safety Task Force. The article is published open access under a CC-BY 4.0 licence and is freely available to all readers.
Reference
den Besten, H. M. W., L. J. Harris, J. C. Acuff, et al. 2026. “ A Risk-Based Framework for Ranking Microbiological Hazards and Identifying Mitigation Strategies for Dried Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, and Spices Used in Ready-to-Eat Foods.” Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 25, no. 5: e70567. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.70567
About the authors
The experts who contributed to this work – Heidy M. W. den Besten, Linda J. Harris, Jennifer C. Acuff, Francois Bourdichon, Rob Limburn, Andreja Rajkovic, Anett Winkler, Polly D. Courtney – are among leading scientists in food safety from industry and academia. This representation across multiple sectors ensures objective and reliable content.
For more information about the Microbiological Food Safety Task Force, visit https://ilsi.eu/scientific-activities/food-safety/microbiological-food-safety/
Contact
Konrad Korzeniowski, Senior Scientific Project Manager: kkorzeniowski@ilsieurope.be
About ILSI Europe
ILSI Europe is the European branch of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), a global, non-profit federation with 10 entities around the world. Our mission is to develop, communicate and disseminate science-based guidance to tackle food, public health, and sustainability challenges. We facilitate collaboration and consensus-building between academic, industry and public service experts. Learn more at ilsi.eu.