Microbiological food safety surveillance is a system that collects data regarding food contamination by foodborne pathogens, parasites, viruses, and other harmful microbiological factors. It helps to understand the spectrum of food safety, timely detect food safety hazards, and provide relevant data for food safety supervision, risk assessment, and standards-setting. The study discusses the microbiological surveillance of food safety in China, and introduces the policies and history of the national microbiological surveillance system. In addition, the function and duties of different organizations and institutions are provided in this work, as well as the generation and content of the surveillance plan, quality control, database, and achievement of the microbiological surveillance of food safety in China.

Introduction In terms of food preparation settings, catering service facilities have been identified as locations with the highest incidence of foodborne disease outbreaks in China. Since 2010, the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment has established the Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System (FDOSS) to monitor foodborne disease outbreaks. Consequently, data from the FDOSS has provided a more accurate depiction of the epidemic characteristics of outbreaks within these facilities. Methods From 2010 to 2020, the FDOSS gathered data related to the prevalence of outbreaks, cases, hospitalizations, and deaths linked to foodborne disease outbreaks in catering service facilities. This study examined the temporal and geographical distribution, pathogenic factors, and contributing variables of these outbreaks over the course of the decade. Results From 2010 to 2020, China’s catering service facilities reported 18,331 outbreaks, which resulted in 206,718 illnesses, 68,561 hospitalizations, and 201 deaths. The second and third quarters of the year accounted for 76.12% of the outbreaks and 72.93% of the cases. The primary pathogenic factors were pathogenic organisms, which caused 4,883 (26.64%) outbreaks, 94,047 (45.50%) cases, 32,170 (46.92%) hospitalizations, and 21 (10.45%) deaths. There were 5,607 (30.59%) outbreaks in restaurants, 2,876 (15.69%) outbreaks from street vendors, and 2,560 (13.97%) outbreaks in employee canteens in China. Conclusions The implementation of relevant control methods, including health education and promotion, is critical for addressing foodborne diseases in catering service facilities. Regular food safety training sessions for restaurant personnel and managers are essential to ensuring the effective management of these health risks.

We investigated the abundance of total and pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus in shellfish sampled from four provinces in China during May 2013 and March 2014 using the most probable number-polymerase chain reaction (MPN-PCR) method. Total V. parahaemolyticus was detected in 67.7% of 496 samples. A total of 38.1% and 10.1% of samples exceeded 1,000 MPN g^-1 and 10,000 MPN g^-1, respectively. V. parahaemolyticus densities followed a seasonal and geographical trend, with Guangxi and Sichuan shellfish possessing total V. parahaemolyticus levels that were 100-fold higher than those of the Liaoning and Shandong regions. Moreover, the levels of V. parahaemolyticus were at least 10-fold higher in the summer and autumn than in the cooler seasons. Pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus levels were generally lower than total V. parahaemolyticus levels by several log units and tended to be high in samples contaminated with high total V. parahaemolyticus levels. The aqua farms had a lower prevalence but higher abundance of total V. parahaemolyticus compared to retail markets. The catering markets showed the lowest levels of total V. parahaemolyticus, but 20.0% of samples exceeded 1,000 MPN g^-1. The levels of both total and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus in oysters were higher than in clams. The log-transformed abundance of V. parahaemolyticus was significantly correlated with both water temperature and air temperature but not water salinity. These results provide baseline contamination data of V. parahaemolyticus in shellfish in China, which can be applied to local risk assessments to prioritize risk control to key sectors and evaluate the effectiveness of future control measures.

Background: The true incidence of acute gastrointestinal illness in China is underrecognized by surveillance systems. The aims of this study were to estimate the incidence and prevalence of self-reported AGI in the community of China, and to investigate sociodemographic and epidemiological determinants of AGI. Methods: We conducted a 12-months cross-sectional population-based survey in eight provinces of China during 2014–2015. The survey determined the prevalence and incidence of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) in the total permanent resident population in China according to the census of the population in 2010. The random multilevel population sample was stratified by geographic, population, and socioeconomic status. We used a recommended case definition of AGI, with diarrhea (three loose or watery stools) and/or any vomiting in a four-week recall. A face-to-face survey was conducted by selecting the member in the household with the most recent birthday. Results: Among 56,704 sampled individuals, 948 (1,134 person-time) fulfilled the case definition; 98.5% reported diarrhea. This corresponds to 2.3% (95% CI:1.9%-2.8%) of an overall standardized four-week prevalence and 0.3 (95% CI: 0.23–0.34) episodes per person-year of annual adjusted incidence rate. There was no significant difference between males and females. The incidence rates were higher among urban residents, and in the spring and summer. In the whole study period, 50% of the cases sought medical care, of which 3.9% were hospitalized and 14.3% provided a biological sample for laboratory identification of the causative agent. Children aged 0–4 and young adults aged 15–24, people living in rural areas and people who traveled frequently had higher prevalence of AGI. Conclusion: Results showed that AGI represents a substantial burden in China, and will contribute to the estimation of the global burden of AGI. Complemented with data on the etiologies of AGI, these estimates will form the basis to estimate the burden of foodborne diseases in China.

Objectives: The present study identified multiple proteins in early mature milk and explored the correlation between protein compositions in HM and maternal BMI during lactation. Methods: A total of 70 mothers giving birth to single-term infants from four representative cites were enrolled in this research. Milk samples were collected between 9 and 11 a.m. to avoid the influence of circadian rhythms. The concentration of total protein in the milk samples was determined using the Bradford method, and the concentrations of α-lactalbumin, lactoferrin, osteopontin, α_s−1 casein, β-casein, and κ-casein, butyrophilin, periodic acid Schiff 6/7, fatty acid-binding protein, and xanthine oxidoreductase in the milk samples were measured through a previously published method using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. A semi-structured questionnaire investigation and body measurements were carried out by trained investigators to collect the information of subjects. Results: In the univariate models, the concentrations of TP (r = 0.306), α-La (r = 0.260), LF (r = 0.371), OPN (r = 0.286), and α_S1-CN (r = 0.324) were all positively and significantly correlated with maternal BMI. In the models’ adjusted covariates, the concentrations of TP (Lg β = 7.4 × 10⁻³), LF (Lg β = 19.2 × 10⁻³), α_S1-CN (Lg β = 8.2 × 10⁻³) and the proportion of LF (β = 0.20%) were positively correlated with continuous maternal BMI changes. TP concentrations in the HM of obese mothers were higher than in the other three groups (Lg β: 66.7 × 10⁻³~140.5 × 10⁻³), α-La concentrations were higher than in the underweight and normal groups (Lg β: 94.4 × 10⁻³~145.7 × 10⁻³), and OPN concentrations were higher than in the overweight groups (Lg β = 103.6 × 10⁻³). The concentrations of LF (Lg β: −298.2 × 10⁻³~−191.0 × 10⁻³), OPN (Lg β: −248.9 × 10⁻³~−145.3 × 10⁻³), and α_S1-CN (Lg β: −160.7 × 10⁻³~−108.3 × 10⁻³) in the HM of underweight mothers were lower than those in the other three groups. β-CN concentrations were lower than normal (Lg β = −125.1 × 10⁻³) and obese groups (Lg β = −165.7 × 10⁻³), κ-CN concentrations were lower than the overweight (Lg β = −132.5 × 10⁻³) and obese groups (Lg β = −147.9 × 10⁻³), and the proportion of LF was lower than that of the overweight (β = −2.80%) and obese groups (β = −2.52%). The proportion of LF in normal mothers was lower than that in the overweight group (β = −1.15%). No statistically significant associations between four MFGM proteins and maternal BMI were determined as the equation models could not be fitted (p for F-test < 0.05). Conclusions: Obese mothers had higher concentrations of multiple protein components than other groups, while underweight mothers had lower concentrations. The association between BMI and protein compositions may be more pronounced for certain protein types.