Practical application of knowledge

Two of the projects which members voted to start this year focus on different aspects of knowledge transfer - researching existing knowledge, assessing it and making it available in an easily digestible format.

Food safety risks associated with pathogens recently linked to foods

Certain microorganisms are associated with hospital infections and immuno-compromised patients. The question is whether such organisms might pose additional food safety risks for the consumer. The potential issues posed by three different organisms - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESLB) Escherichia coli, and Clostridium difficile - are somewhat different. All are linked with hospital infections, and have been associated with livestock. While there is no reason to suppose that these pose a potential risk, there is little information available on the resistance of these organisms to standard food processing and preservation treatments. Base data are being established on these organisms, so that food producers can be confident that their current food safety controls are adequate to eliminate any that may be present within raw materials or product.

Contact: Suzanne Jordan
+44(0)1386 842013
suzanne.jordan@campdenbri.co.uk

Good agricultural practice and sustainable food production

Two recent Government Office for Science Foresight reports have highlighted that the current system of food production is unsustainable, that existing farming systems and knowledge systems that support them are no longer fit for purpose, and that a new approach is called for.

A common theme in both reports is the need for an integrated approach which encompasses the classical scarcities related to natural resources (e.g. soil, water, plant nutrients), the new scarcities related to issues such as climate change and biodiversity, and societal contributions that aggravate these scarcities.This project is benchmarking relevant UK and global private voluntary standards, guidelines and codes of practice in agriculture to compare and contrast good agricultural practice (GAP), compliance criteria and other provisions relating to the issues of sustainability.

Contact: Dr. Chris Knight
+44(0)1386 842012
chris.knight@campdenbri.co.uk