Review of past and current surveys investigating the microbiological surveillance of food
Review of past and current surveys investigating the microbiological surveillance of food
Area of work
The Food Standards Agency commissioned a survey to identify published microbiological food surveys carried out in the UK and internationally.
objectives
The survey was designed to collate all the food microbiological surveys published in the UK and abroad and place them in a single database in order to highlight gaps and suggest priorities for future surveys. An analysis of the data gathered revealed gaps in UK surveillance and facilitated comparisons between microbiological studies in different countries.
This information is currently held in a searchable Excel database containing over 400 survey entries. It consists of searchable fields on food types included in the survey, the micro-organisms examined, geographical location and the type of food outlets from which samples were obtained.
The database was originally designed for Agency use only, but it was agreed that this would be a useful resource for others with an interest in the microbiological safety of food. There are plans to publish the database on the Agency�s website in the future.
duration
August 2004 to May 2005
Expected reporting date
May 2005
contractor
Health Protection Agency (HPA)