PrintEssay competition winner
Dyan Sari (pictured below) is the winner of an essay competition in memory of the late Ann Westby, a past President of the Institute of Food Science and Technology of Ireland (IFSTI) and a former CEO of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
Ms. Sari was in her second year of the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) European MSc. degree in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition when she entered the competition. The title of her essay was 'Cronobacter sakazakii: The importance of understanding the correct way to reconstitute powdered infant formula'.
The essay explains the epidemiology of Cronobacter sakazakii (formerly known as Enterobacter sakazakii) which causes illness mainly in neonates and children from 3 days to 4 years old. It reviews the evidence for the link between illness in neonates and contaminated powdered infant formula, a product which many people mistakenly consider to be a sterile product. Finally it describes the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for infant formula preparation, storage and handling and explores the practicalities of following these guidelines.