Report on UK publicly funded research relating to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis

Friday 2 June 2006

A 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 June 2006 and reviews publicly funded research related to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). The report comprises research funded by the members of the MSFFG, and covers a total of 30 projects over the period 1990 to December 2005. This research has mainly focused on the reduction and elimination of MAP in milk, which is reflected in this report.

MAP causes Johne's disease (paratuberculosis), a prolonged and often fatal disease in cattle and other farm animals. It has been suggested that the pathogen may be associated with Crohn's disease in humans. There is currently insufficient evidence to prove or disprove this hypothesis but it is judged prudent to try and minimise people's exposure to MAP. There has been a significant body of research addressing the effect of heat treatment on milk and this has contributed to a strategy for reducing exposure to MAP in cow's milk.

The MSFFG is a cross-representational body involving bodies who fund microbiological research in the area of food safety. Membership includes representatives from the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Department of Health (DH), the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Northern Ireland (DARD), the Environment Agency, the Food Safety Promotion Board (FSPB), FSA Scotland, FSA Wales, FSA Northern Ireland, the Health Protection Agency (HPA), the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC), the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department Science and Research Group (SEERAD SRG) 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.'