Category Archives: EFSA

EFSA – Scientific Opinion – Food Safety Risk Management of Composite Foods

Posted on May 15, 2012 by | Leave a comment

EFSA

This Opinion reviews the factors that affect microbial survival and growth in composite products, and in foods in general. It concludes that the main factors to be considered are: water activity, pH, temperature and duration of storage, processing, and intensity and duration of other non-thermal physical processes applied. Prevalence and concentration of the pathogens in food are important to determine the risk for consumers. The opinion presents a review of the quantitative microbiology models and databases that can be used to provide quantitative estimations of the impact of the above factors on the survival and growth of the main bacterial pathogens. In composite products, migration and diffusion of moisture and substances among the ingredients may change their physico-chemical parameters, particularly at the interfaces. Therefore, the assessment of the risk posed by composite products needs to consider the combinations of parameters most permissive to survival and growth of pathogens. Two complementary approaches are proposed for the identification and profiling of microbiological hazards in different specific composite products. The first one is based on past outbreaks and prevalence of hazards in the products and leads to the conclusion that the most frequent hazard-composite product combinations are Salmonella in cakes and bakery products. The second one consists in decision tools based on the impact on the pathogens of food composition and food processing. Categorisation of the risk for composite products requires information on their composition, processing and further handling, which can largely differ for foods belonging to the same category. Further conditions may influence the risk and should be verified, i.e. hygienic conditions during preparation of the composite products and their ingredients, shelf-life conditions, and reliability of cooking by consumers to inactivate pathogens. The decision tools developed apply to all composite products considered by the mandate, as well as to all other foods.

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Posted in Bacteria, EFSA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

EFSA Food Videos – Salmonella/Campylobacter/Pathogens

Posted on April 18, 2012 by | Leave a comment

EFSA Videos

Understanding Science short videos including Salmonella and Campylobacter.

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, EFSA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Food Testing, Microbiology, Research, Salmonella

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EFSA Data – Reduction Targets for Salmonella in Turkeys

Posted on April 16, 2012 by | Leave a comment

EFSA

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was asked by the European Commission to evaluate the impact on public health of reducing Salmonella levels in turkeys across the European Union (EU). The presence of Salmonella in turkeys is considered a risk for public health through the consumption of contaminated meat from these animals. EFSA’s work will support any consideration by the Commission of setting new targets to control Salmonella in turkeys.

In a new scientific opinion, experts from EFSA’s Panel on Biological Hazards identify the main Salmonella serovars* in turkeys and indicate that transmission from breeding stock to fattening flocks is an important source of Salmonella infection as well as such sources as contaminated feed or turkey houses.

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Posted in Bacteria, EFSA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

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Climate change: Potential Impacts on Food- and Waterborne Diseases in the EU

Posted on March 28, 2012 by | Leave a comment

ECDC 

ECDC issued the report ‘Assessing the potential impacts of climate change on food- and waterborne diseases in Europe’.

This report identifies the relationships between meteorological and climate variables and six food- and waterborne pathogens, by reviewing existing literature, in order to assess the potential impacts of climate change on food- and waterborne disease transmission in the EU.

Publication Link – Free of Charge

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Posted in Bacteria, ECDC, EFSA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen

EFSA Video Links – Salmonella, Campylobacter, Pathogens

Posted on March 14, 2012 by | Leave a comment

EFSA Video Links

Short videos on the following subjects from the European Food Safety Authority.

What is Salmonella?

What is antimicrobial resistance?

What are foodborne zoonotic pathogens?

What is Campylobacter?

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, Campylobacter, EFSA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Salmonella

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ECDC and EFSA – Food-borne Outbreaks in EU Report 2010

Posted on March 8, 2012 by | Leave a comment

ECDC

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) launched their annual report on zoonoses and food-borne outbreaks.

The report,  providing data on 15 zoonotic diseases in the European Union for 2010, supports the European Commission and EU Member States in their consideration of possible measures to protect citizens from risks related to zoonoses.

The report highlights a positive progress in the reduction of reported human cases of salmonellosis by almost 9% in 2010, as well as decreases in other zoonoses such as infections caused by Yersinia enterocolitica, Trichinella and Listeria monocytogenes. “Decreases in human cases of salmonellosis and other zoonotic diseases show that EU level control measures, resulting from surveillance of disease in humans with information from food and animals, are effective”, states Johan Giesecke, Chief Scientist at ECDC.

On the other hand, the number of cases of  campylobacteriosis has been increasing over the last five years, and human cases of Shiga toxin/verotoxin -producing Escherichia coli (STEC/VTEC) are also increasing. These trends “highlight the need of further joint efforts”, continues Prof. Gieseke. “For this, ECDC will continue to strengthen its links with all important partners and foster collaboration in order to decrease the occurrence of these diseases in the EU”.

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Posted in Bacillus, Campylobacter, E.coli, E.coli O157, EFSA, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella, STEC

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Food Safety Ireland and EFSA – Norovirus Collaboration

Posted on February 29, 2012 by | 1 comment

FSAI

 Norovirus is a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in Europe.  The virus is readily transmitted from person to person so outbreaks can easily become large, as shown in the outbreak that occurred in a Dublin Hotel just before Christmas.  In this instance, around 580 people reported illness after attending events in the hotel.  Food and water can also be sources of norovirus infection when they are either contaminated with faecal matter or cross-contaminated by food handlers.

A major issue for the Authorities and the industry in Ireland surrounds decisions regarding the safety of oysters when they are found to contain norovirus genome copies but are nevertheless compliant with all applicable control requirements.  In this context the FSAI requested advice from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on the public health risks associated with establishing standards for noroviruses in oysters.

EFSA concluded that norovirus is highly infectious and low doses can result in disease.  However, it noted that the amount of virus detected in oysters linked to human illness could vary greatly.  It also concluded that norovirus genetic material was frequently detected in European oysters even when they complied with existing control standards.

The opinion went on to recommend that risk managers should consider establishing an acceptable limit for norovirus in oysters that are intended to be harvested and placed on the market in the EU.

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Posted in EFSA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Food Virus, Microbiology, Norovirus, Pathogen

EFSA – Report Salmonella Enterica – France December 2011

Posted on February 3, 2012 by | Leave a comment

An outbreak of the monophasic variant of Salmonella enterica serotype 4,[5],12:i:- occurred in November and December 2011 in France. Epidemiological investigation and food investigation with the help of supermarket loyalty cards suggested dried pork sausage from one producer as the most likely source of the outbreak. Despite the absence of positive food samples, control measures including withdrawal and recall were implemented.

Full Report

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Posted in EFSA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Safety Alert, Food Testing, Microbiology, Salmonella

EFSA Safety Measures Help to Reduce Salmonella by Half

Posted on January 31, 2012 by | Leave a comment

EFSA

Salmonella – a bacterium causing salmonellosis in humans – was until 2005 the most common food-borne disease in European Union (EU) with almost 200.000 reported human cases that year. It is estimated that the overall economic burden of human salmonellosis for the EU could be as high as EUR 3 billion a year.

Salmonellosis is a zoonosis – disease or infection that can be transmitted directly or indirectly between animals and humans. The bacterium is commonly found in the intestines of healthy birds and mammals. It can spread to humans through contaminated eggs and meat, most often poultry and pig meat. Usual symptoms include fever, diarrohea and abdominal cramps.

The coordinated approach by all EU actors has had significant results: human Salmonella cases have been reduced by almost one-half in the EU over five years (2004-2009). At the same time, the prevalence of Salmonella in poultry decreased significantly, especially in laying hen flocks. The reduction of the bacteria in laying hen flocks is likely to be the main reason for the decline of Salmonella cases in humans, since eggs are considered the most important source of human infections in EU.

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Posted in EFSA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Poisoning, Food Testing, Microbiology, Salmonella

EFSA – Scientific Opinion on Norovirus

Posted on January 25, 2012 by | Leave a comment

EFSA

NoV is highly infectious, and there is no threshold infectivity limit for NoV detected by PCR. The probability of becoming infected increases with the dose but depends also on the characteristics of the organism, the food matrix and the host factors. The relationship between the number of infectious virus particles and the number of virus genome copies detected by quantitative PCR is not a constant, and it is important to realise that the infectious risk associated with low level positive oysters as determined by real-time PCR may be overestimated.

Quantitative data on viral load from areas compliant with current EU legislative requirements (E. coli standards) during January-March 2010 in 3 selected member states, show that a viral limit of 100, 200, 500, 1000 or 10.000 NoV PCR copies would result in 33.6-88.9%, 24.4-83.3%, 10.0-72.2%, 7.7-44.4% or 0-11.1% of non-compliant batches, respectively. Compliance with any of the above NoV limits would reduce the number of contaminated oysters placed on the market and therefore the risk for consumers to become infected. It is currently not possible to quantify the public health impact of different limits.

Microbiological criteria for NoV in oysters are useful for validation and verification of HACCP-based processes and procedures, and can also be used by competent authorities as an additional control to improve risk management in production areas, during processing and retail. The Panel recommended that risk managers should consider establishing an acceptable limit for NoV in oysters to be harvested and placed on the market. NoV testing of oysters (standardized CEN method) should be used to verify compliance with the acceptable NoV limit established.

The most effective public health measure to control human NoV infection from oyster consumption is to produce oysters from areas which are not faecally contaminated, particularly given the ineffectiveness of current depuration and relaying procedures.

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Posted in EFSA, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Standards Agency, Food Testing, Microbiology, Norovirus