Events

Martin Cole, ICMSF chairman, participated in the CHIFSS 4th anniversary and 7th Stakeholder e-Forum on “Building Resilient Food Systems for the Future”, providing a key note entitled “Food Safety Risk Management – more important than ever as we build resilient food systems of the future”. In his talk, Martin discussed the global food safety and food security challenges and, amongst others, reviewed needs and opportunities to strengthen food safety risk management. CHIFSS stands for Capability Harnessing Initiative for Food Safety Science, and its capability building resources and activities are developed under auspices of the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). For a video-recording of the event, see http://www.chifss.in/4th-Anniversary.html

Session tile: Campylobacter, Health Impact, Performance Objectives and Effectiveness of Sampling Plans.
Organizers: Jeffrey Farber, Leon Gorris, Marcel Zwietering.
Convenor: Leon Gorris
Sponsored by:  the IAFP Foundation,
International Food Protection Issues, Meat and Poultry Safety and Quality, Microbial Modelling and Risk Analysis PDG.

Presentations:

1) Health Impact of Campylobacter: The Main Zoonotic Pathogen in Many Countries
JEFFREY FARBER, University of Guelph, CRIFS, Guelph, ON, Canada
2) Establishing Performance Objectives throughout the Chicken Production Chain to Account for Control Measures
LEON GORRIS, Food Safety Expert, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
3) Effectiveness of a (More and More Stringent) Sampling Plan for Campylobacter
MARCEL ZWIETERING, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Link to ICMSF session Kentucky: https://iafp.confex.com/iafp/2019/meetingapp.cgi/Session/5348

Session title: Campylobacter, Health Impact, Performance Objectives and Effectiveness of Sampling Plans

Lectures:

• Health Impact of Campylobacter: The Main Zoonotic Pathogen in Many Countries
  • Jeffrey Farber, University of Guelph, CRIFS, Department of Food Science, Guelph, ON, Canada
• Establishing Performance Objectives throughout the Chicken Production Chain to Achieve Control of Campylobacter
  • Wayne Anderson, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
• Effectiveness of a (More and More Stringent) Sampling Plan for Campylobacter
  • Marcel Zwietering, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands

Link to IAFP Europe meeting: https://www.foodprotection.org/europeansymposium/

Link to ICMSF session Nantes: https://iafp.confex.com/iafp/euro19/meetingapp.cgi/Session/5591

On 17 April 2019, ICMSF experts Kiran Bhilegaonkar and Leon Gorris as well as past ICMSF member Xiumei Liu, took part in a Workshop in Beijing, China, on Managing Microbiological Risks in Meat and Poultry Supply Chains. The workshop was part of the International Forum on Food Safety and Health organised by the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST). The workshop was co-organised by CIFST, the International Union for Science and Technology (IUFoST) and the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) in association with and supported by the Walmart Food Safety Collaboration Center located in Beijing.

About 70 Food safety professionals from China and abroad representing government, industry and academy attended the workshop. The workshop was designed to give participants a good understanding of microbial hazards relevant for meat and poultry supply chains, principles of designing a strong food safety system understanding the supply chain end-to-end, useful testing to verify the correct performance of food safety management systems and mitigation and control options relevant for meat and poultry supply chains. Throughout the presentations and discussions, there was a lot of attention to practical facts and information and knowledge participants could really use for their day-jobs.

Line-up (left to right):
Huhu Wang, Alejandro Amézquita, Yanbin Li, Xiumei Liu, Leon Gorris, Kiran Bhilegaonkar, Longhai Liu and Zhinong Yan

When you are interested in the program, please look here.

For a copy of the presentations of ICMSF members, please send a request to leongorris@gmail.com.

ICMSF members participated in a session at the IUFoST World Congress. See information on the Congress website https://www.iufost2018.com/index.php

Ms Surbhi Datta / Ms Anju Bist
Mobile : +91-9873233583/ 9818878840
Email : surbhi.datta@cii.in/ anju.bist@cii.in

25-27 April 2018, Stockholm, Sweden

ICMSF organized a session entitled Importance of Microbiological Criteria and Statistical Underpinning of Sampling and Testing for Food Safety Assurance for IAFP’s 2018 European Symposium. Leon Gorris started by describing the setting of international fppd safety management and microbiological criteria in Codex. This was followed by Marcel Zwietering who explained the detailed statistical specificities of sampling for various situations. Wayne Anderson then gave the ICMSF perspective on sampling and provided examples from ICMSF’s Book 8. The session was well attended by about 80 people and there was a lively discussion.

Presentations

• International Perspective on the Role of Microbiological Sampling and Testing in Food Safety Assurance – Leon Gorris, Unilever R&D Vlaardingen, Vlaardingen, Netherlands
• The Science and Statistics Underlying Sound Microbiological Sampling and Testing Approaches – Marcel Zwietering, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
• ICMSF Guidance on Microbiological Sampling and Testing for Key Commodities – Wayne Anderson, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

 For more information see https://iafp.confex.com/iafp/euro18/meetingapp.cgi/Session/4629

17-18 April 2018, Beijing, China

ICMSF experts Leon Gorris, Tom Ross and Marcel Zwietering ran a hands-on Workshop in Beijing, China on useful Microbiological Sampling and Testing for Food Safety Management. Seventy Chinese food safety professionals from government, industry and academia attended the workshop. The session was designed to give participants a deep and hand-on understanding of useful microbiological sampling and testing, with specific attention to the underlying statistics, sampling plan performance and development and interpretation of microbiological criteria. As part of their training resources, all participants received a signed copy of ICMSF’s Microorganisms in Foods 8: Use of Data for Assessing Process Control and Product Acceptance translated into Chinese through the effort of a team led by former ICMSF member Xiumei Liu.

Left to right: Dr. Zhinong Yan (Walmart China), Dr. Tom Ross (ICMSF), Dr. Marcel Zwietering (ICMSF), Dr. Wang Jun (Director of Division 2 of Food Safety Standards, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment) and Dr. Leon Gorris (ICMSF)

According to Dr. Wang Jun (Director of Division 2 of Food Safety Standards, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment) the workshop was an important contribution to the further strengthening of the professional quality of China’s food safety work by giving the Chinese professionals a solid understanding of the utility of microbiological food safety testing.

The workshop was a joint effort of several organizations that strive to advance food capability building in China and around the globe. It was organized by ICMSF in conjunction with the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology and the International Union for Food Science and Technology, co-organized by the Unilever China Consumer Products Safety Collaboration Center in Shanghai and sponsored by the Walmart Food Safety Collaboration Center in Beijing.

3 & 4 October 2017, Unilever Research Vlaardingen (URV)

3 October – Scene setting and information sharing

October 4 – Working Groups to develop/define themes and output*

The rest of the session was dedicated to a panel discussion on the important and very relevant topic of Future needs for HACCP and Risk Management in Controlling Microbiological Hazards in the Global Food Supply. The aim of the panel discussion was to discuss the role of HACCP in light of advances in risk management and increasing importance of pre-requisite controls in ensuring the safety of food and the increasing need for through chain control measures.

POTENTIAL QUESTIONS OR AREAS FOR DISCUSSION INCLUDED:

1. What are the current issues and experiences with the application of HACCP in the emerging food safety issues?
2. How are HACCP principles evolving to cope with complex through chain issues?
3. How can we make the stringency of HACCP plans more quantitative and risk based?

PARTICIPANTS IN THE PANEL DISCUSSION WERE:

• Jeff Farber, Director, Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Health Canada, Food Directorate
• Martin Cole, Director Food and Nutrition Flagship, CSIRO, Australia
• Joseph Scimeca, VP Global Regulatory and Scientific Affairs, Cargill, USA
• Yao-wen Huang, Professor, University of Georgia, Atlanta, GA, USA
• Martin Lo, Biointellipro LLC, Ashton, MD, USA

MICROAL 2014 was the result of the joint effort of several groups from Latin America involved with food safety. This congress was one of the most important international food safety events to be held in Latin America, with sessions on hot topics in food microbiology and food safety. It was a unique opportunity for networking and exchanging information with professionals from academia, government and the food industry.

In May 2007, 817 attendees from 20 countries converged in Margarita Island to hear 34 international and 33 national guest speakers present recent developments in food safety and quality, food science and technology, consumer trends and regulatory issues from a multidisciplinary perspective. More than 300 scientific abstracts were presented, and delegates also attended several pre-meeting short courses on topics ranging from rapid methods for microorganism detection in foods, methods validation, and methods to establish food shelf-life.

Four scientific papers were distinguished by the following awards:

International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF), Award: “Listeria monocyotogenes molecular typing using RAPD and sequence of actA and hly genes.” Authors: Vanegas López, Maria Consuelo; Medrano Medina, Mayra Viviana; and Marino Ramirez, Leonardo. Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia.

Publitec Award: “Use of reverse transcription-PCR for transgen detection. Model: Coffee transformed using the B. thuringiensis cry1ac gen.” Authors: Soraya de Guglielmo C.; Rosanna Valerio; and Andrea Menéndez. Laboratorio de Clonación y Genética Vegetal, Instituto de Biología Experimental de la Universidad Central de Venezuela y Departamento de Biología de la Universidad de Oriente, Venezuela.

Dr. Josefina Gómez Ruiz Award: “Magnetic inmunoseparation as an alternative rapid method for Salmonella detection in foods”. Authors: Diana Rosentul and Patrica Blasco. Gerencia de Soporte Científico, Empresas Polar, Venezuela.

Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos, Universidad Central de Venezuela Award:“Use of alginate and gelan as probiotic edible coatings in fresh-cut fruits.” Authors: Rodriguez, Francisco J.; Tapia, Maria Soledad; Rojas-Graü, Maria Alejandra; Ramírez, Jorge; Carmona, Andrés; and Martin-Belloso, Olga. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela.

In association with SAAFoST Expo

Symposium Opening, Welcome & Announcements – Dr Lucia Anelich (Manager: Food Safety Initiative, CGCSA, SA)

Introduction to the ICMSF – Dr Martin Cole, ICMSF Chairman

Emerging Risk Management Tools – Dr Robert Buchanan, Senior Science Advisor, FDA/CFSAN, USA

The Relationship Between GHP/GMP, HACCP, Risk Assessment and Risk Management – Dr Leon Gorris (Senior Scientists, Unilever, UK)

Emerging Foodborne Pathogens – Dr Jeff Farber (Director, Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Health Canada, Health Products and Food Branch, Canada)

Control of Emerging Foodborne Pathogens – Dr Bruce Tompkin, Food Safety Consultant, USA

Avian Influenza: an Update – Dr Morrie Potter, Lead Scientist for Epidemiology, FDA, USA

Hygiene and Food Safety in the Dairy Industry – Dr Paul Teufel, Director, Institute for Hygiene and Food Safety, Federal Research, Centre for Nutrition and Food, Germany

Innovation and Emerging Sanitation and Decontamination Issues in the Food Industry, Dr Katie Swanson, Vice President Food Safety, Ecolab Inc., USA

Implications and Value of Sampling – Dr Susanne Dahms, Senior Clinical Statistician, Schering AG, Germany

Microbiological Criteria – Dr Martin Cole, Director, National Centre for Food Safety and Technology, USA

Industry Uses of Microbiological Testing and Microbiological Criteria in the Manufacturing and Marketing of Processed Foods, Dr Jean-Louis Cordier, Food Safety Manager, Nestlé Nutrition/Operations, Switzerland

Food Safety in South Africa – Dr Lucia Anelich, Manager: Food Safety Initiative, CGCSA, SA

Sponsored by International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods; Risk Assessment Consortium, International Life Sciences Institute, International Association for Food Protection, Institute of Food Technologists

MONDAY OCTOBER 31, 2005

Opening Session

WELCOME – Suzanne Harris, Executive Director International Life Sciences Institute

OPENING REMARKS- Martin Cole, Chair, (ICMSF)

KEYNOTE ADDRESS The role of microbiological testing and microbiological criteria in an evolving regulatory environment – Robert Brackett, Director, US Food and Drug Administration/Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FDA/CFSAN), USA

Understanding the Basics

Principles of microbiological testing: Methodological concepts, classes, and considerations – Russell Flowers, Silliker Group Corporation, USA

Principles of microbiological testing: Statistical basis of sampling – Martin Cole, ICMSF

Role of Microbiological Testing and Microbiological Criteria: Regulatory Applications

Use of microbiological testing and microbiological criteria in regulatory programs for meat, poultry, and processed egg products – Daniel Engeljohn, US Department of Agriculture/Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS), USA

Use of microbiological testing and microbiological criteria by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Steve Schaub, EPA, USA

International Applications including Codex

Use of microbiological criteria in international food hygiene standards – Karen Hulebak, Chair, Codex Alimentarius Committee on Food Hygiene Industrial Applications

Industry uses of microbiological testing and microbiological criteria in the manufacturing and marketing of processed foods – Jean-Louis Cordier, Nestlé, Switzerland

Industry uses of microbiological testing and microbiological criteria in the manufacture and marketing of raw food product – Bruce Tompkin, Food Safety Consultant, USA

Panel Discussion: Strengths and Weaknesses of Current Uses of Microbiological Criteria

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 1, 2005

Relating Microbiological Criteria to Public Health Goals

Moderators: Anna Lammerding, Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada – Kathleen Glass, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Introduction to the Codex risk management framework for relating food safety control measures to public health goals – Robert Buchanan, FDA/CFSAN, USA

Approaches for deriving performance objectives and performance criteria from a food safety objective – Richard Whiting, FDA/CFSAN, USA

Approaches for deriving microbiological criteria from performance objectives and performance criteria – Susanne Dahms, Global Medical Development Clinical Statistics Europe, Germany

The role of microbiological testing and microbiological criteria in conjunction with disease surveillance systems to monitor and review the effectiveness of food safety risk management systems – Morris Potter, FDA/CFSAN, USA

Hypothetical examples of FSO-derived Microbiological Criteria Listeria monocytogenes and smoked fish – Lone Gram, Danish Institute for Fisheries Research, Denmark

Enterobacter sakazakii, Salmonella, and Enterobacteriaceae in powdered infant formula – Jeffrey Farber, Health Canada, Food Directorate, Canada

Campylobacter and Salmonella in raw poultry – Marcel Zwietering, Wageningen University, The Netherlands

Food Safety Objectives and Microbiological Criteria in Developing Countries

Applicability of food safety objective-derived microbiological criteria in developing countries – Lucia Anelich, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Panel Discussion: Potential advantages and pitfalls in using public-health derived microbiological criteria