Microbiological food safety

At WFSR, we look at viruses that are transmissible through food. These types of viruses are often particularly stable: more than most bacteria, they are resistant to high levels of dehydration and heating and can remain infectious for a very long time. In food, this is usually longer than the food product has a shelf life.

Examples include norovirus, known from outbreaks of stomach flu in hospitals and on cruise ships, and hepatitis A virus, which when exposed can cause jaundice with prolonged fatigue or worse health problems. Every year, more people get sick from consuming food containing norovirus than from any other microorganism. Reliable research on virological hazards in food is therefore of great importance.

WFSR conducts research on food-borne bacteria. In the Netherlands, we are the designated laboratory for monitoring bacteriological food safety on behalf of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). Every day, we examine hundreds of food samples from various origins using accredited detection methods for the presence of harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and Listeria.

Genomics, the study of heredity and genes (DNA) in a cell or organism, plays an important role in WFSR's microbiological research. When examining bacteria, much attention is paid to Genomics. Virology research is also increasingly using Genomics applications.

In Genomics, for example, we work on mapping the entire DNA of bacteria: whole genome sequencing (WGS). These studies provide a wealth of information. WGS makes it possible to compare strains from different food products. Has a genome sequence been found before? Do they have a shared origin?

Antibiotics are essential drugs against bacterial infections. They kill bacteria or inhibit their growth, allowing the immune system to clear the infection. But antibiotics can lose their effect if bacteria are no longer sensitive to them: they have then developed resistance. The frequent use of antibiotics encourages the emergence and growth of (multi-)resistant bacteria. An infection caused by resistant bacteria is obviously more difficult to treat. It is therefore of great importance that we take global action against antibiotic resistance, also known by the acronym AMR (antimicrobial resistance).