A Bibliometric and Systematic Review of Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment in Food Safety (1995–2024)

Abstract

Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) has become a central framework for evalu-ating foodborne microbial hazards by integrating microbiological data, exposure assess-ment, dose–response modelling, and probabilistic simulation. Over the past three decades, its rapid expansion has created challenges in obtaining a coherent overview of the field’s structure, dominant themes, and research trajectories. This study presents a bibliometric and systematic review of QMRA research in food safety. Bibliographic data were retrieved from the Scopus database (search conducted in January 2026), including peer-reviewed articles published in English between 1995 and 2024, and analysed using performance analysis and science mapping techniques to assess publication trends, influential contrib-utors, collaboration patterns, and thematic evolution. Risk of bias assessment was not applicable due to the bibliometric nature of the study. The results indicate steady long-term growth of QMRA research, based on a final dataset of 186 articles across multiple journals and countries, with a concentrated influence structure dominated by a limited number of specialised journals, institutions, and research groups. International collaboration is particularly strong within European networks. Thematic analysis identifies probabilistic exposure assessment, Monte Carlo simulation, predictive microbiology, and dose–response modelling as the methodological core, with a primary focus on major foodborne pathogens such as Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli. Persistent emphasis on uncertainty, cross-contamination, and dose–response relationships highlights key methodological challenges. Limitations include reliance on a single database and potential exclusion of studies using alternative terminology. These findings provide a structured overview of the QMRA landscape and identify priorities for methodological refinement and future application in food safety risk assessment. This study received no external funding and was not prospectively registered.