The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a meeting report and systematic review, “Ranking of Low-Moisture Foods in Support of Microbiological Risk Management.” The report is based on a series of activities carried out by FAO and WHO to compile and analyze the existing information on the microbial hazards associated with low-moisture foods (LMFs) in an effort to rank the foods of greatest concern. FAO and WHO’s activities were implemented in response to a request from the Codex Alimentarius Commission Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) to support the development of a Codex Code of Hygienic Practice for LMFs.

According to the report, LMFs are of particular concern due to the foods being conducive to bacterial persistence, despite the fact that microorganisms cannot grow in such products. A number of foodborne illness outbreaks linked to LMFs in recent years have created global awareness of the need to consider and manage the microbiological hazards associated with LMFs.