Tag Archives: european food safety authority

EFSA – World Health Day – How Safe is Your Food?

Posted on April 2, 2015 by | Leave a comment

EFSA efsa

Food safety is the topical theme of this year’s World Health Day on 7 April. The day marks the founding of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1948.

By choosing food safety as its main theme, the WHO raises awareness of a public health issue of global relevance and invites food producers, policy-makers and the public to promote food safety.

Food safety is at the heart of the work of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Its mission is to protect the 500 million European consumers and ensure that their food is safe.

The Authority provides impartial scientific advice on potential risks to food safety along the entire food chain. This includes: plant protection; animal health and welfare; the impact of the food chain on the environment; transportation and storage of food; food production and innovation; and health claims. EFSA’s scientific advice is used by European decision makers, national authorities, academia, consumer organisations and the public at large.

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Research: The European Union summary report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food-borne outbreaks in 2013

Posted on January 30, 2015 by | Leave a comment

EFSA Journal

This report of the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control presents the results of the zoonoses monitoring activities carried out in 2013 in 32 European countries (28 Member States and four non-Member States). Campylobacteriosis was the most commonly reported zoonosis. After several years of an increasing European Union (EU) trend, the human campylobacteriosis notification rate has stabilised. In food and animals no EU trends were observed and the occurrence of Campylobacter continued to be high in broiler meat at EU level. The decreasing EU trend in confirmed human salmonellosis cases observed in recent years continued. Most Member States met their Salmonella reduction targets for poultry. In foodstuffs, the reported EU-level Salmonella non-compliance in fresh poultry meat decreased. Human listeriosis increased further, showing an increasing EU trend in 2009-2013. In ready-to-eat foods Listeria was seldom detected above the legal safety limit. Also during 2009-2013, a decreasing EU trend was observed in confirmed yersiniosis cases. Positive findings for Yersinia were mainly reported in pig meat and products thereof. The number of confirmed verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) infections in humans increased. VTEC was reported from food and animals. A total of 5,196 food-borne outbreaks, including water-borne outbreaks, were reported in the EU. Most food-borne outbreaks were caused by Salmonella, followed by viruses, bacterial toxins and Campylobacter, whereas in 28.9 % of all outbreaks the causative agent was unknown. Important food vehicles in strong-evidence food-borne outbreaks were eggs and egg products, followed by mixed food, and fish and fish products. The report further summarises trends and sources along the food chain of tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis, Brucella, Trichinella, Echinococcus, Toxoplasma, rabies, Coxiella burnetii (Q fever), West Nile Virus and tularaemia.

© European Food Safety Authority, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2015

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Research – Food Safety – Who is Best Europe or the USA?

Posted on March 7, 2014 by | Leave a comment

The Acheson Group

Last week, the European Union (EU) published a summary report of zoonotic infection data focused primarily on trends since 2005, and the rise or fall of confirmed campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis, listeriosis, and verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (that is what the EU calls Shiga toxin producing E. coli like O157:H7) cases between 2011 and 2012 in the EU. The report is based on European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control analyses of information submitted by 27 European Union Member States on the occurrence of zoonoses and food-borne outbreaks in 2012. Much has been made in the EU of the decreases in rates of salmonellosis. Is the EU faring better than we are? Do they have practices in place that we should learn from? Or are they in the process of catching up to the US?

The fairest way to make a comparison is to look at illness rates: how many people out of 100,000 got sick?

Illness
US
EU
Campylobacteriosis 14.3 55.5
Salmonellosis 16.42 22.2
Listeriosis 0.25 0.41
Pathogenic E. coli 1.12 (O157); 1.16 (non O157 STEC) 1.15(VTECs)

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The European Union Summary Report on Trends and Sources of Zoonoses, Zoonotic Agents and Food-borne Outbreaks in 2012

Posted on February 20, 2014 by | Leave a comment

EFSA efsa

The European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control analysed information submitted by 27 European Union Member States on the occurrence of zoonoses and food-borne outbreaks in 2012. Campylobacteriosis was the most commonly reported zoonosis, with 214,268 confirmed human cases. The occurrence of Campylobacter continued to be high in broiler meat at EU level. The decreasing trend in confirmed salmonellosis cases in humans continued with a total of 91,034 cases reported in 2012. Most Member States met their Salmonella reduction targets for poultry. In foodstuffs, Salmonella was most often detected in meat and products thereof. The number of confirmed human listeriosis cases increased to 1,642. Listeria was seldom detected above the legal safety limit from ready-to-eat foods. A total of 5,671 confirmed verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) infections were reported. VTEC was also reported from food and animals. The number of human tuberculosis cases due to Mycobacterium bovis was 125 cases, and 328 cases of brucellosis in humans were reported. The prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle increased, and the prevalence of brucellosis in cattle, sheep or goats decreased. Trichinella caused 301 human cases and was mainly detected in wildlife. One domestically acquired human case and one imported human case of rabies were reported. The number of rabies cases in animals increased compared with 2011. A total of 643 confirmed human cases of Q fever were reported. Almost all reporting Member States found Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) positive cattle, sheep or goats. A total of 232 cases of West Nile fever in humans were reported. Nine Member States reported West Nile virus findings in solipeds. Most of the 5,363 reported food-borne outbreaks were caused by Salmonella, bacterial toxins, viruses and Campylobacter, and the main food sources were eggs, mixed foods and fish and fishery products.

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Research – EFSA – ECDC – The European Union Summary Report on Trends and Sources of Zoonoses, Zoonotic Agents

Posted on April 9, 2013 by | Leave a comment

EFSA

The European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control analysed the information submitted by 27 European Union Member States on the occurrence of zoonoses and food-borne outbreaks in 2011. Campylobacteriosis was the most commonly reported zoonosis with 220,209 confirmed human cases. The occurrence of Campylobacter continued to be high in broiler meat at EU level.

The decreasing trend in confirmed salmonellosis cases in humans continued with a total of 95,548 cases in 2011. Most Member States met their Salmonella reduction targets for poultry, and Salmonella is declining in these populations. In foodstuffs, Salmonella was most often detected in meat and products thereof.

The number of confirmed human listeriosis cases decreased to 1,476. Listeria was seldom detected above the legal safety limit from ready-to-eat foods.

A total of 9,485 confirmed verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) infections were reported. This represents an increase of 159.4 % compared with 2010 as a result of the large STEC/VTEC outbreak that occurred in 2011 in the EU, primarily in Germany. VTEC was also reported from food and animals.

The number of human yersiniosis cases increased to 7,017 cases. Yersinia enterocolitica was isolated also from pig meat and pigs; 132 cases of Mycobacterium bovis and 330 cases of brucellosis in humans were also reported. The prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle increased, and the prevalence of brucellosis decreased in cattle and sheep and goat populations.

Trichinellosis and echinococcosis caused 268 and 781 human cases, respectively and these parasites were mainly detected in wildlife. The numbers of alveolar and of cystic echinococcosis respectively increased and decreased in the last five years. One imported human case of rabies was reported. The number of rabies cases in animals continued to decrease.

Most of the 5,648 reported food-borne outbreaks were caused by Salmonella, bacterial toxins, Campylobacter and viruses, and the main food sources were eggs, mixed foods and fish and fishery products.

 

© European Food Safety Authority, 2013

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Posted in Bacteria, Campylobacter, E.coli, E.coli O104, E.coli O157, ECDC, EFSA, EHEC, Eurofins Laboratories, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Poisoning, Research

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European Epdiemiological Report into the Salmonella Stanley Outbreak 2012

Posted on February 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

ECDCecdclogo

In July 2012, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) initiated a Europe-wide investigation on a Salmonella Stanley outbreak, together with the affected Member States, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Reference Laboratory for Salmonella (EURL Salmonella). Cases were associated with strains showing an indistinguishable PFGE pattern not previously reported in Europe.

Between July and September 2012, ECDC encouraged European Union (EU) and other European Economic Area (EEA) Member States to perform Xbal-PFGE typing on all S. Stanley human isolates. The image profile of the outbreak strain was shared with all EU countries. ECDC collected and analysed molecular typing data on S. Stanley from EU/EEA Member States to explore potential sources of infection within the food production chain in this multi-country outbreak.

Full report at the link above.

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Posted in Bacteria, ECDC, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hand Washing, Hygiene, Illness, Methods, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Salmonella

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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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