Bacteria of the genus Cronobacter (formerly referred to as Enterobacter sakazakii) may cause serious infections in babies, notably in neonates and prematures. Fortunately, infections are very rare and over the past 50 years approximately 150 cases of illness have been reported worldwide. The bacterium itself, on the other hand, is not rare at all, as it was amongst others detected in dust samples taken from food companies and households.
To be able to detect the bacterium, new techniques needed to be developed in the course of this study. While the bacterium occurs in many places, infant formula is the only food commodity associated with Cronobacter infection. The bacterium can survive very well in dry infant formula. It starts to grow once water has been added to the powder. Growth of the bacterium can be quite fast if the reconstituted formula is stored too long and at a too warm temperature. In this study, models were developed to predict the growth and inactivation of Cronobacter under a variety of circumstances, such as cooling process in the refrigerator during which considerable growth could occur. Data from this study have been applied in risk assessment studies conducted by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agricultural Organization.