what are the drivers of poor food hygiene behaviours in households and food businesses, and how can food safety knowledge be best translated into safer practices?
Background
Foodborne disease (FBD) is a major public health risk with 2.4 million individual illnesses and more than 16,000 hospitalisations per year. It imposes an annual burden on society equivalent to £9.1 billion. The majority of human foodborne disease is caused by a handful of pathogens (including norovirus, campylobacter, salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and listeria) which, in most cases, enter the food chain from farmed animals or the environment.
In addition to FBD, the agri-food supply chain also poses a risk for the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Addressing the public health threat posed by AMR is an ongoing strategic priority for the UK and the Government has recently published its new 5-year AMR National Action Plan (NAP) 2024-29 (Opens in a new window), which sets out actions to slow the development and spread of AMR.
The overarching aim of this research priority is to provide evidence to enable the FSA to better control the spread of FBD and AMR within the food supply chain. For both threats, taking a ‘One Health’ approach is important, to understand the sources (e.g. livestock) and routes (e.g. food and environment) of infection and ultimately the impact (e.g. on humans).
As well as characterising new and emerging threats, we need to build our current understanding as to the attribution, prevalence, and nature of existing FBD and AMR risks, filling key evidence gaps which will support improved control measures and enhance food hygiene policy. We are also seeking to build capability in this area through development of new surveillance methods, which in turn can support the FSA’s work on trade and border inspections, as well as supporting broader disease and incident management.
Next steps
Get in touch: andrew.downie@food.gov.uk
Source
This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:
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Related UKRI funded projects
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UK Food Safety Research Network
The UK has a strong commitment to food safety, with food manufacturers being entirely focused on making foods that are healthy and safe for their customers. With the assistance of government departments, there are many p...
Funded by: BBSRC
Why might this be relevant?
Partially relevant as it focuses on food safety research but does not specifically address drivers of poor food hygiene behaviors.
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BBSRC Institute Strategic Programme: Microbes and Food Safety Partner Grant
The Microbes and Food Safety (MFS) ISP will provide an understanding of how microbial threats, such as pathogens and spoilage-causing bacteria, evolve and interact to affect food safety and develop strategies to reduce t...
Funded by: BBSRC
Why might this be relevant?
Fully relevant as it addresses microbial threats, foodborne illness, and strategies to improve food safety.
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BBSRC Institute Strategic Programme: Microbes and Food Safety Partner Grant
The Microbes and Food Safety (MFS) ISP will provide an understanding of how microbial threats, such as pathogens and spoilage-causing bacteria, evolve and interact to affect food safety and develop strategies to reduce t...
Funded by: BBSRC
Why might this be relevant?
Fully relevant as it addresses microbial threats, foodborne illness, and strategies to improve food safety.