The Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) is a scientific advisory committee that provides the FSA with independent expert advice. This helps the FSA ensure that policy development and consumer advice in relation to the microbiological safety of food are based upon sound science and relevant practical experience and expertise. The Committee’s terms of reference are to assess the risk to humans from microorganisms that are used or occur in or on food and to advise the FSA on any matters relating to the microbiological safety of food.
Since the publication of the 1998 ACMSF report on foodborne viral infections, with the exception of minor risk assessment work carried out on hepatitis E and avian influenza, no formal review has been carried out on foodborne viruses.
At the March 2010 ACMSF meeting the FSA asked the Committee to consider whether it was timely to carry out a review of foodborne viral infections, assessing the risk to consumers and highlighting any research and surveillance gaps.
The Committee agreed that an ad hoc group should be set up to revisit the issue of foodborne viruses in light of the significant developments in this area, so that an updated risk profile could be produced based on the findings.
The group met 13 times from November 2010 to July 2013 to assess the extent of viral foodborne infection in the UK.
The group considered information on all foodborne viruses including new and emerging viral pathogens and identified that the most important viruses associated with foodborne infection were norovirus, hepatitis A virus, and hepatitis E virus. These viruses are the focus of the group’s report, which concentrates mainly on viral foodborne infection in the UK. The report also gives consideration of two recent comprehensive reviews of viruses in food that have been published by WHO (2008) and EFSA (2011). The report provides key information that will be used to inform Risk Assessments and Risk Management on foodborne viruses across government.
The group’s draft report has now been approved by the full Committee and is attached for comment.
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