Arnoud van Vliet from the Institute of Food Research’s (IFR) Food Safety Centre, gave the latest IFR Public Lecture last month. His talk covered the bacteria that cause food poisoning, why they are so good at making us ill, and why the problems are increasing.
Jadwiga O'Brien's Posts (245)
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The rise of AMR is seen as a global public health threat with consequences for animal health, food security and the environment. A new section on the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine website aims to inform farmers.
A recent European Commission report estimated that drug-resistant bacteria are now responsible for about 25,000 human deaths per annum in the EU alone, with associated healthcare costs and productivity losses of €1.5bn. The Commission also estimated that about four million patients are estimated to acquire a healthcare-associated infection in the EU every year.
US health regulators have cleared the way for a type of genetically engineered Atlantic salmon to be farmed for human consumption - the first such approval for an animal whose DNA has been scientifically modified.
Contract Research Officer (2 Posts) Ref: CRO/DPTC/1115
Background: This project will be carried out as part of a state funded Dairy Processing Technology Centre (DPTC) in collaboration with industry. The Dairy Processing Technology Centre (DPTC) is Ireland’s centre of excellence for dairy processing research and innovation, established to help to fuel growth in the Irish dairy sector by performing research focused on cost-efficient processing; facilitating a step-change in environmental sustainability; and creating, validating and commercialising a pipeline of science and technology-based manufacturing platforms for dairy ingredients.
Basic Function: The contract research officer will have an honours Level 8 Degree or PhD in Food Science or related discipline. The appointee will be part of a team of researchers examining the interactions of dairy protein based ingredients as a function of solids content with a view to controlling heat stability, viscosity and gelation. The successful candidate will be experienced in evaporation/drying technologies and other unit processes involved in dairy ingredient development.
Location: Cork
Deadline: 12 midnight on Wednesday 25th November 2015
The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) is now accepting presenter abstracts for IAFP 2016 to be held in St. Louis, MO from July 31, 2016 through August 3, 2016.
Each year, the IAFP hosts an Annual Meeting, providing attendees with information on current and emerging food safety issues, the latest science, innovative solutions to new and recurring problems, and the opportunity to network with thousands of food safety professionals from around the globe.
The submission deadline for abstracts is January 19, 2016. No late submissions will be accepted. Visit FoodProtection.org for more details.
Location: Dublin
Responsibilities:
The Chief Specialist, Chemical Safety is responsible for all aspects of the FSAI’s work on the chemical safety of food. The job holder provides technical advice to the FSAI, Government departments and the food industry on chemical safety legislation and potential risks to health from chemicals in the food chain, including food additives, flavourings, chemical contaminants, food contact materials and any other relevant chemical residues; provides scientific and technical support to the FSAI’s Chemical Safety Sub-Committee; conducts risk assessment of chemicals in the food supply; and assists the FSAI in its mission to protect public health from chemical contaminates in foods.
Closing date: 20th of November 2015 at 5pm
Job Title: Chief Executive Officer – Moorepark Technology Limited
Location: MTL, Fermoy, Co. Cork.
Qualifications: Applicants should have a relevant Level 8 Degree. A primary degree in disciplines such as business, accountancy or marketing are fitting with this role as is a degreequalification in Food Science or similar. A relevant postgraduate qualification such as an MBA, or a post graduate programme in the area of Leadership or Strategy would be an advantage.
The closing date for applications is 5.00pm Wednesday 11th November 2015.
Description
A hands-on role in the Technical Department assisting product innovation, with a particular emphasis on fermented products, with a view to successfully launching commercially viable products onto the market place.
Location: Donegal
New research continues to demonstrate that typical cleaning doesn’t actually sanitize the reusable plastic containers (RPCs) used to transport fruits, vegetables, poultry and other foods.
In a study publicized earlier this year, Steven Ricke, director of the University of Arkansas Center for Food Safety, and his team grew Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli O157:H7 on RPC surfaces and then subjected them to cleaning and sanitizing practices typical in the industry. They found that bacterial biofilms could still survive on the surface of RPC material.
Caramel apples punctured with dipping sticks and left unrefrigerated over the course of a couple of weeks may harbor a bacterium called Listeria monocytogenes, according to a study published this week in mBio®, an online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
A study by researchers at the University of Washington found that most have arsenic levels higher than what’s allowed in drinking water--a threshold set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a highly sensitive, cost-effective technology for bacterial pathogen screening of air, soil, water, and produce in as little as 24 hours.
An opportunity has arisen within the Quality department of Glanbia Ingredients Ireland. Reporting to the Quality Head, Ballyragget, this role will have responsibility for managing the Chemistry & Powders QC function and its team of Analysts and will oversee method development and validation activities. You will also optimise the analytical capability of the laboratory to ensure that all products are released meeting customer specifications.
Role Requirements
- Degree in Chemistry, Food Science, MS degree in Chemistry a plus
- A minimum of 3 years experience in leading and managing the performance of a team, preferably in a Food, Dairy or Beverage Laboratory environment, is a strong advantage
- Effective interpersonal and strong communication skills, both verbally and in writing.
- Strong quantitative skills, proven attention to detail with effective organisational skills.
- Proven ability to develop, adapt and validate testing methods.
- Expertise in relevant chemistry techniques and instrumentation.
- Proven problem solving, trouble shooting, and Lean skills
- Team player with a proven ability to build cross functional relationships
- Dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers
- A working knowledge of Microsoft Office , SAP QM and LIMS is desirable
Location: Kilkenny
Smartphones might be an important tool for food safety inspectors because of their inconspicuousness.
Researchers at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have found that phones used in place of clipboards can improve the quality of data collected during observations.
According to a phenomenon called the Hawthorne Effect, people sometimes change their behaviour because they know someone is watching.
A British woman was recently sickened with norovirus from oysters, although she hadn’t eaten any. It turns out that she got the infection from a friend who got it from eating the oysters.
The former president of the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) has been jailed for 28 years for his role in a Salmonella outbreak linked to nine deaths. Evidence at trial showed tainted food led to Salmonella illnesses in 2009 with more than 700 reported cases in 46 states.
Queen’s University Belfast wishes to recruit the following:-
Business Alliance Manager (Agri-Food and Nutrition)
Reporting to the Head of Business Alliance, the post holder is responsible for establishing and developing strategic relationships and partnerships between the University and the business community, with a specific focus upon Agrifood and Nutrition research. The role will seek to identify collaborative research opportunities, provide support to academic staff in working with external funders regionally and nationally, and lead initiatives to facilitate increased and improved business collaboration.
School/Department: Research and Enterprise
Closing Date: Monday 5 October 2015
Salary: £38,511 to £50,200 per annum (including contribution points)
Further details, including information on the application process, can be found here.
There are hundreds of millions of cases of foodborne illness worldwide every year, costing billions of dollars. It’s believed that low- and middle-income countries bear the brunt of these illnesses.
Evidence is limited, but the author of a new report believes this to be the case because of the high level of hazards often reported in these countries, the high prevalence of foodborne pathogens in surveys of people with diarrhea, the lack of clean water for washing food and utensils, and the use of human sewage or animal waste in agriculture.
Job Purpose
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland is responsible for the enforcement of all food legislation in Ireland. The Authority carries out this enforcement function through "service contracts" with official agencies. Section 48 of the FSAI Act, 1998 gives the legislative basis for this. These contracts outline an agreed level and standard of food safety activity that the agencies perform as agents of the Authority. They also contain objectives and targets for food control, the timeframe for delivery, resources committed to deliver the contract and other relevant matters. In addition they provide for the development of specific detailed food safety control programmes.
The jobholder will be responsible, as part of a team led by the contracts manager, for supporting the management of these service contracts with official agencies so that food legislation is enforced in compliance with the FSAI legal responsibility and mission. The appointee will also be responsible for providing advice/support on the use of enforcement powers as required.
Closing date: 25 September 2015
A team of scientists is genetically engineering plants to produce antimicrobial proteins known as colicins, which can then be extracted and applied to contaminated meat and produce to kill E. coli bacteria.
In a study published earlier this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team engineered tobacco, leafy beets, spinach, chicory and lettuce to produce colicins.
