Food Standards Agency
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Listen to this siteAn updated (December 2007) report in a series providing an overview of publicly funded research relating to microbiological safety of food has been produced by the Microbiological Safety of Food Funders Group (MSFFG).
The new report was published in January 2008 and reviews publicly funded research related to Campylobacter. The report updates the previous report published in 2004 and covers research funded by the members of the MSFFG, a total of 92 projects, over the period 2003 to August 2007.
Campylobacter is a bacterium that is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK and many other countries. It is found mainly in poultry but also in red meat, unpasteurised milk and untreated water. Although it does not normally grow in food, it spreads easily, so that only a few bacteria in a piece of undercooked chicken could cause illness. Campylobacter infections do not usually cause vomiting, but diarrhoea can be severe and bloody, with abdominal cramps. Normally the treatment is rest and fluid replacement, with medication only being given for severe cases.
This report describes the research which the UK Government has funded since 2003 in order to increase our understanding of Campylobacter and the ways in which it causes illness in humans. In particular recent research has cast light on the basic science of the bacterium and how it colonises chickens, which is important in that it may provide strategies for limiting the numbers of Campylobacter in poultry. We also know more about other sources of Campylobacter that may lead to human illness. These have not changed the view that poultry are a significant source of the bacterium and that care must be taken in the management of poultry and the handling of chicken meat.
The MSFFG is a cross-representational body involving bodies that fund microbiological research in the area of food safety. Membership includes representatives from the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSA Scotland), Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Department of Health (DH), Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), Food Safety Promotion Board of Ireland (FSPB), Health Protection Agency (HPA), Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC), Medical Research Council (MRC), the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD) and the Scottish Executive Department of Health (SEDH).
The Group’s terms of reference are: 'To assist the co-ordination of publicly funded research and development on the microbiological safety of the food chain with a view to informing the research and development effort, identifying gaps and overlaps, and providing reports as appropriate.'
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