Objectives
The task force has widened its scope from emerging pathogens only to topics that are non-organism specific, such as factors likely to impact on emergence of pathogens relevant to the food chain and persistence and survival of microorganisms.
The mission of the task force is to increase the understanding of (i) the impact of emerging pathogens on the food chain and on human health, and their control, (ii) the impact of emerging issues not directly related to specific organisms, and (iii) the impact on safety of current and developing processing methodologies.
Activities
Enterobacteriaceae
An Expert Group commissioned by the task force addresses Enterobacteriaceae. Enterobacteriaceae have had a large impact on infectious diseases, clinical microbiology and public health. They are involved in diarrhoeal diseases and recognised as one of the major bacterial foodborne pathogens. New scientific and ecological advances have revealed an expansion of the area of Enterobacteriaceae, including emerging pathogenic strains. The Expert Group will therefore review the potential impacts of these microorganisms on food safety and microbiological risk assessment. The review will focus on advances in taxonomy, virulence characteristics, survival and persistence of Coliforms and Enterobacteriaceae.
Collaboration Food Micro 2008
Food Micro 2008 will be held from 31 August to 3 September 2008 in Aberdeen, UK, (http://www.foodmicro2008.org/). It will cover all aspects of food microbiology within some major themes, such as foodborne pathogens, food attribution, risk assessment, predictive modelling. The TF plans to give input in their programme and organise part of a session at this event.
Animal-borne Viruses
A number of animal-borne diseases that are highly contagious between animals also have the potential to infect humans. This may necessitate interruption of sourcing raw materials, trade restriction of manufactured goods, or result in loss in sales from foods derived from animals suffering particular diseases. The diseases considered are notifiable to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and include Hepatitis E1, foot and mouth disease (FMD), vesicular stomatitis (VS), swine vesicular disease (SVD), bluetongue, lumpy skin disease (LSD), Rift Valley fever (RVF), Pestes des Petits Ruminants (PPR), classical swine fever (CSF), African swine fever (ASF), sheep and goat pox, Newcastle disease (ND), and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). In some cases, the animal diseases are able to cause disease in humans. The routes of transmission and illness vary largely. The diseases may be important for consumers or, more commonly, for individuals who handle contaminated raw materials i.e. occupational risk. In other cases, diseases pose no real threat to humans but nevertheless attract much attention.
An ILSI Europe Report will cover various aspects of these agents including their ecology, disease-causing ability, control measures and significance as foodborne human pathogens. It is intended to also publish the report in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Future Activities
The task force continuously updates a priority listing for future activities including proposals such as Persistence and survival of pathogens in food processing environments, Water as a vehicle for transmission, Factors influencing emergence of pathogens, New Technologies, Vibrios and Emerging animal-borne bacterial diseases.
Impact
Task Force publications are widely read and disseminated inside and outside Europe, e.g. by the US National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods. Publications are used as reference texts for promoting and sharing best practice in the food industry and facilitate a pro-active response to emerging food safety issues.
The task force plans to commission an ILSI Europe Session in the forthcoming IAFP European Symposium on Food Safety later this year. They are also considering collaboration with other international events such as FoodMicro2008 to be held from 31 August to 3 September 2008 in Aberdeen, UK, and for the winter session of the Society for Applied Microbiology (SfAM) in January 2009.
A flyer providing information on the ILSI Europe microbiology programme (comprising activities of the Emerging Microbiological Issues Task Force and the Risk Analysis in Microbiology Task Force) can be downloaded here.
Task Force Collaborators
The scientists below participate in the task force and expert groups:
Experts from supporting member copmpanies
Dr. Andy Davies, H J Heinz (UK)
Dr. Susan Horst, Campina (NL)
Dr. Han Joosten, Nestlé (CH)
Dr. Peter McClure, Unilever (UK)
Dr. Fabrice Peladan, Groupe Danone (FR)
Dr. Michèle Storrs-Mabilat, bioMérieux Industry (FR)
Dr. Cathy Stannard, Mars (UK)
Dr. Anett Winkler, Kraft Foods (DE)
Experts from public institutes
Dr. Malcolm Banks, Veterinary Laboratories Agency - VLA (UK)
Dr. Ingrid Bergmann, Centro Paramericano de Fiebre Attosa (BR)
Dr. Emiliana Brocchi, Instituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia (IT)
Dr. Truuske Gerdes, Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (ZA)
Prof. Tom Humphrey, University of Bristol (UK)
Dr. Guus Koch, Wageningen University (NL)
Dr. Marion Koopmans National Institute of Public Health & the Environment - RIVM (NL)
Dr. Geneviève Libeau, CIRAD / EMVT (FR)
Dr. Mogens Madsen, Dianova (DK)
Prof. Volker Moennig, Hannover Veterinary School (DE)
Prof. Sarah O’Brien, University of Manchester (UK)
Prof. José Sánchez-Vizcaíno, Universidad Complutense of Madrid (ES)
Dr. Hamid Varshovi, RAZI Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (IR)
Prof. Marion Wooldridge, Veterinary Laboratories Agency - VLA (UK)
Expert from consultancy
Dr. Emma Hartnett (CND)
Publications
T. Humphrey, S. O’Brien, M. Madsen. Campylobacters as Zoonotic Pathogens: A Food Production Perspective. International Journal of Food Microbiology 2007;117(3):237-257.
Also published in the ILSI Europe Report Series 2006:1-44.
D. Dawson. Foodborne Protozoan Parasites. International Journal of Food Microbiology 2005;103(2):207-227.
G. Gould, P. Franken, P. Hammer, B. Mackey, F. Shanahan. Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and the food chain. Food Protection Trends 2005;25(4):268-297.
Also published in the ILSI Europe Report Series 2004:1-31.
M. Koopmans and E. Duizer. Foodborne Viruses: An Emerging Problem. International Journal of Food Microbiology 2004;90(1):23-41.
Also published in the ILSI Europe Report Series 2002:1-31
P. Brown. Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy as a Zoonotic Disease. ILSI Europe Report Series 2003:1-48.
D. Dawson. Foodborne Protozoan Parasites. ILSI Europe Report Series 2003:1-39.
C. Bell. Approach to the Control of Entero-heamorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC). International Journal of Food Microbiology 2002;78(1):197-216.
Also published in the ILSI Europe Report Series 2001:1-35.
T. Humphrey. Salmonella Typhimurium Definitive Type (DT) 104 - A Multi-resistant Salmonella. International Journal of Food Microbiology 2001;67(3):173-186.
Also published in the ILSI Europe Report Series 2000:1-24.
To download the ILSI Europe Microbiology Programme Flyer, click here.
For more information contact info@ilsieurope.be.