A group of industry organisations – including Ripple Foods, Royal FrieslandCampina, Tetra Pak, SPX Flow and HP Hood – has issued guidance for manufacturers and ingredients suppliers, based on new research into managing bacterial spore growth in dairy alternative beverages.
The collaboration involves food research organisation Nizo, which has endorsed the new guidance, as well as HAS Green Academy, Wageningen University & Research and 11 industry partners.
Named the Plant Protein Contaminants Consortium Project, its aim was to address critical knowledge gaps related to microbial safety and spoilage risks associated with plant-based ingredients used in the production of alt-dairy beverages.
Formulating low-acid plant-based beverages that are distributed in a shelf-stable format presents various critical food safety challenges that must be addressed as the market for these products grows, the consortium said in a statement.
The new research focused on understanding the occurrence, heat resistance and growth behaviour of microbial contaminants, particularly spore-forming bacteria, in plant-based ingredients such as pea, oat, almond, faba bean and coconut.
It highlighted considerable variation in microbial contamination levels between ingredient types and even between samples from the same ingredient source, underscoring the importance of thorough risk assessment and ingredient specifications.
The results showed no evidence of previously unknown or unusually resistant microorganisms. However, the consortium warns that some identified species could cause product spoilage or food safety concerns if not adequately controlled through ingredient selection, processing and storage management.
Soon to be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, the research aims to support the development of improved methods for detecting and enumerating spore-forming bacteria in plant-based ingredients, as well as improved understanding of conditions that enable or prevent spore germination and growth in dairy alternatives.
The research provides insights into the heat resistance of spores and their ability to survive food processing. Based on the findings, the alliance recommends that plant-based ingredients suppliers take special care to monitor bacterial spores, including highly heat-resistant spores of thermophilic bacteria (HRTS) and Bacillus cereus.
This guidance aims to help achieve more streamlined verification of incoming ingredients at the customer level and support companies in making more informed food safety decisions while accelerating product development.
Fred van de Velde, chief scientific officer at NIZO, said: “Food safety is a shared responsibility. This project demonstrates the power of collaboration between industry and knowledge institutions. By sharing insights and establishing a common scientific foundation, we can help the sector develop safe, high-quality and sustainable plant-based products while reducing food waste.”