1.4a What is the risk of new AMR carrying organisms and genes from imported food, and what surveillance is required to monitor imported food for AMR?
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
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Related UKRI funded projects
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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
Lead research organisation: Oxford Brookes University
Why might this be relevant?
The project addresses microbial threats in food, including AMR, and aims to enhance food safety and reduce foodborne illness.
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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
Lead research organisation: Royal Veterinary College
Why might this be relevant?
The project focuses on microbial threats in food, including antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and aims to improve food safety and reduce foodborne illness.
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Expansion of the Food Safety Research Network to create and mobilise new capabilities that act on microbial risk
UK consumers expect their food to be safe, and food producers and government are vigilant and work diligently to ensure safety of food supplies. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) reports that food-associated incidents are ...
Funded by: BBSRC
Lead research organisation: Quadram Institute Bioscience
Why might this be relevant?
Partially relevant as it focuses on microbial risk in food safety, but does not specifically address AMR surveillance in imported food.