FoodCloud is a not-for-profit organisation, which aims to reduce food waste and restore community spirit based on the principle of shared food. Established in 2012, FoodCloud offers retailers the chance to reduce the cost of food waste in their stores, while supplying charities with unwanted food for consumption. Following the success of FoodCloud’s introduction to eliminating food waste in Ireland and the UK, Food Safety and Charity Engagement Officer Karen McGrane-Capcarrere explains why education on food safety in the charity sector is vital.

On a global scale, it is estimated that approximately 30% of food produced for human consumption is wasted across the food supply chain. Closer to home, households in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) are believed to spend around €700 on wasted food every year, while households in the UK are estimated to spend around £720 on food that is wasted each year. One organisation hoping to address the issues of food wastage across the island of Ireland is FoodCloud. The organisation utilises a smartphone app and a website that allows businesses to put up details of leftover food produce at the end of each day. The app generates a text message which is sent to local charities, allowing the FoodCloud team to collect the food and bring it straight to the charity to be used immediately. FoodCloud has joined forces with another organisation, Bia Food Initiative, who work on redistributing surplus food on a wholesale level. The nationwide partnership works under an umbrella organisation, FoodCloud Hubs - where the team accept surplus food from wholesalers such as farms, manufacturers and distributers, which is stored in a warehouse at one of their designated depots in Cork, Galway and Dublin. The team then contact their registered list of charities to offer food supplies for delivery or collection to local charities in those regions.

Having worked as a chef for more than 20 years, Karen joined the FoodCloud team excited by it's commitment to local communities and engagement within the charity sector as well as its mission to promote food safety.

Karen's daily duties include ensuring the food safety of not only the food stored at the FoodCloud Hub warehouses, but she also provides training to the charities engaged with the programme on food safety practices and how to best utilise the food that they receive. 

Another interesting area of Karen’s job relies on her culinary skills, as she works closely with charities to develop menu plans. “The foods we can get in can be quite diverse, so sometimes the foods distributed to charities mean they might need a little bit of guidance in how to use the donation. The fact that I’m a chef helps, so when I see what comes in I draw up some recipes and ideas and work with the charity so that they can hopefully use the food a bit more effectively.” While there is a very robust system of food safety, food surplus redistribution is new in the ROI.

“In other countries they may have legislation to allow for food banks and redistributing foods, but in the Republic of Ireland, we don’t have those guidelines to work with,” Karen explains. Karen is referring to the Good Samaritan Law – US legislation that means that once a company or group donate to a charity, the charity themselves are described as the ‘end user’ of those goods. This means US foodbanks are offered indemnity, reducing the risks of liability. No such legislation is in effect in Europe.

Having worked with both the Environmental Health Association of Ireland and the National Hygiene Partnership, Karen also conducts food safety training at a largely reduced price to the organisation’s charity partners. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has also agreed to offer the ‘Safe Food’ pack outlining guidelines and practices to any charity that registers with the FoodCloud initiative.

“It’s effectively a food safety management system in one folder. One of the biggest challenges I have is to help the charities manage their food safety,” reveals Karen. “Some charities are excellent at that, but some are smaller and need our support in helping set up a proactive and effective system.”

The challenge in redistributing food safely is the decision of whether to use food immediately, or to store correctly to maximise the shelf–life of products. Despite the delicate balancing act, Karen says, “FoodCloud has managed to redistribute the equivalent of 3.5 million meals in Ireland and the UK to date.” Providing safe nutritional food may be the main aim of their business, but Karen feels the support FoodCloud offers will have the lasting effect of promoting food safety in redistribution banks.

“If you can go out to a charity, see what they’re doing and how they’re doing it, and offer real support, it makes the difference. Food management and food safety systems can sound intimidating, but there are so many organisations out there helping with informing the public such as safefood or contacting the Environmental Health Officer.

“Just reaching out and making the information accessible is the hurdle we’re working to overcome.”

About Karen

Hobbies/ Interests: Well I’ve three young children, so when I’m not working they keep me occupied. I also love travelling and eating out.

Favourite Food: Anything homemade, from scratch. I love eating a good homemade meal with my family.

Workshop on Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing Strategy (EFSA): Brussels, 18th October 2016

Food Factory: Laval (France), 19th - 21st October 2016

Next steps for UK food waste policy: Innovation, partnerships and energy recovery: London, 20th October 2016

5th International “Fresenius Feed Conference”: Darmstadt (Germany), 21st - 28th October 2016 

First Food Chemistry Conference - Shaping the Future of Food Quality, Health and Safety: Amsterdam, 30th October – 1st November 2016

Rapid Methods Europe 2016: Amsterdam, 7th – 9th November 2016

Health Research Board (HRB) 30 - Research Evidence Action: Dublin, 30th November 2016

Fiona Lickorish, Head of the UK- based Cranfield Institute for Resilient Futures, on what the future might hold for food safety.

Considering Fiona Lickerish used to run a wildlife trust, it is no surprise that her interests lie in sustainable planning for the future. Her background in impact assessment saw her move to the UK department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), when they set up a rural policy function. She ran the Horizons programme there until she moved to Cranfield University five years ago.

“I have always been focused on impact assessment throughout my career,” she explains, “identifying and understanding the potential emerging issues and opportunities as early as possible. Most of my work involves what we call Futures Research: investigating what the future might look like. This could be anything from the risk of potential disease from a particular crop to looking at new and emerging indicators of food crime, i.e. what are the things that drive people to nefarious activities here? A lot of my work concentrates on the resilience and vulnerabilities of food chains.”

Fiona works right across the food safety sector with retailers, manufacturers, Agri- food consultants and government bodies. “We also think about new and innovative ways of producing foods, covering all areas, not just beyond the farm gate but prior to that as well. We tend to call it strategic foresight – trying to give an organisation an idea of what they might face in the future, and how they can be strategic about it. If it is a risk, is it in their control and can they manage it themselves? If it is an opportunity, how can they capitalise on this? Sometimes, if you don’t take an opportunity it can become a risk.”

Fiona does stress however that you need to manage the spend when it comes to Futures Research, and not invest too quickly when the apparent risks or opportunities have yet to unveil themselves. 

“It is about monitoring the situation and when it hits a certain point you need to be prepared and know what action you are going to take.”

Fiona also refers to the importance of Horizon Scanning in the detection of emerging food safety risks. “What we are trying to do here is to consider those things that are on the periphery of becoming a reality. We need to identify these things as early as possible so that we can do the thinking and make a plan of action.

Lots of people are so busy dealing with today that they don’t have the time to lift their head and see what is coming down the road. We want to provide people with a comfortable space to talk about new and emerging things that may affect their business and to make decisions now. Many people already know what these things are: they are the things that keep you up at night. Giving people the space and time to have a conversation about these things in a way that is standardised, means that you can address it now rather than when you are forced to. It can save you a lot of time and resources. With Foot and Mouth disease, for example, it would have been cheaper and a lot easier to deal with when it wasn’t staring us in the face.”

So, is this something that can be achieved by most companies, big and small? “Most companies are already doing horizon scanning but they just don’t call it that. They often know the issues to be addressed but there is no space to do this. I always ask people to talk about those things that make them feel uncomfortable, those things that they may not necessarily discuss with their boss. Having the con dence to challenge things that have always been done a certain way and having an organisation that is open to accepting those types of conversations is important. The organisations that do well are those that are open to staff at all levels being able to challenge the status quo.”

Pointing to examples of food safety issues and Futures Research, Fiona says: “We are looking for things before they become a trend, sometimes in another sector which could be transferable to food. For example, we found one of the rst issues around the recession in 2008 was that people were pressed money- wise, however they did not want it to affect their lifestyle. This led to a big surge in rural crime in the UK, where animals were being stolen and subsequently there was a rise in black market meat. If you got a good joint of meat in a pub for a very good price, if it appears to be too good to be true, then it usually is.

“This was a big food safety issue. Another example is the adulteration of milk with melanine – this was an issue regarding technology, because they were testing the protein levels but not checking what type of protein it was. So we need to look at what drives people to do these things. It is mainly about economics, so you have to be aware of the environment we are working in beyond our particular sector. We look at political, legislative, social drivers and if we know there is a particular country we source food from, do any of these drivers point to the fact that it is likely to adulterated? It allows you to be one step ahead of the issue.”

The Food Chain catches up with Naomi Waite, Director of Marketing with Tourism Northern Ireland on a hectic year of celebrating everything that’s delicious in NI

Naomi Waite is, understandably, a busy woman. As Director of Marketing for Tourism NI, she has been to the fore promoting events to highlight NI’s fabulous food and drink produce.

“So much has been happening, it’s difficult to know where to start,” she says.

“Highlights so far have included a Gala Banquet Launch at the Ulster Hall, Belfast, an outdoor radio broadcast promoting NI produce, an #UlsterFRYday and an attempt at a Guinness World Record for Pancake Flipping.”

Each month has featured a dedicated theme including a Heritage and Traditions Event; a Cheese and Beer night; a Seafood Cookery Class and a BBQ in the City to promote Love NI Meat month.

In the Brewing and Distilling Month, for example, Tourism NI ran a media drop in NI and the Republic of Ireland.

“Throughout the year we’ve hosted a number of media trips,” says Naomi.

And of course the year isn’t over yet. “October is Harvest Month and in November we’ll be celebrating legacy and learning in the culinary arts. We’ll be rounding off the year with a focus on all things Christmas and premium goods.”

So why all the activity?

“Food and drink experiences have become increasingly important to tourism as they offer destinations an opportunity to differentiate and celebrate indigenous foods. While food and drink are a vehicle through which our visitors can learn about our heritage, landscape and culture as well as meet our people, it also accounts for a significant proportion of visitor spend,” explains Naomi.

“Northern Ireland’s reputation as a good food destination has been steadily improving. Food and drink is also an essential part of the Northern Ireland economy and a key element of the holiday experience. It’s one of the strongest memory triggers and visitors increasingly want to search for authentic and local experiences.”

Already the initiative has surpassed expectations. New foodie experiences that have been developed include Lough Erne Water Taxis Food Tours, a Trails and Ales cycling trail in County Down and McComb’s Pub and Food Crawl.

The Food Standards Agency in NI has been working side by side with Tourism NI during the year to highlight and promote restaurants and attractions in the country that have achieved a Food Hygiene rating of three or above.

There has also been some collaboration with Sea sh NI to promote sustainable fishing in the area.

“We’ve also worked closely with Food NI and the Livestock Meat Commission to ensure that any produce being used at Tourism NI events can be traced from the plate back to the plot of land that it was reared on.”

For more information on Northern Ireland Year of Food, click here.

The Republic of Ireland’s seafood industry contributes about €1 billion annually to its national income and employs up to 11,000 people. In this issue, we talk to Dr. Susan Steele, Chair of the board of the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) about the challenges facing the industry.

The Republic of Ireland has an excellent reputation for the high quality of its seafood products, according to Dr. Susan Steele of the SFPA. The latest gures show that seafood exports are now worth €564 million. Domestic consumption is up 6% and countries as far afield as Nigeria, China, Cameroon and Ghana are the main export markets.

Maintaining that reputation and ensuring that the ROI fishing industry has a strong future are among the responsibilities of Susan’s organisation.

Susan comes from Castletownbere on the beautiful Beara Penninsula in West Cork. She was just three years old when she decided to become a marine biologist and the sea has been her passion ever since. Along with her role at the SFPA, she sits on the Wildlife Committee of the Heritage Council.

The thriving seafood industry in the ROI has won fans throughout the world. Nigeria is the top export market, accounting for a staggering 46% of exports. Mackerel, horse mackerel, blue whiting, herring, whelk and crab are the preferred products with the latter three showing good growth.

From a food safety point of view the main challenge, according to Susan, is traceability and documentation. “We urge all consumers and food businesses alike to only purchase from reputable suppliers. For example, food businesses have a legal obligation to source all mussels and live bivalve molluscs from reputable suppliers and with the necessary traceability and documentation only,” she says.

The main challenges facing the SFPA, particularly in the summer months are un-registered and recreational fishermen, especially with the new limits for lobster and crab shing. “Regulations are in place regarding the minimum size that can 

be harvested to ensure these species can reach maturity and reproduce to provide future stocks,” she points out. The solution to the problem has been increased SFPA inshore patrols with more than 140 of these patrols having taken place since June this year.

The SFPA is also involved in a range of research projects. Susan points to the Sanitary Surveys, an essential first step
towards establishing a microbiological monitoring programme and which provide valuable information on the landscape surrounding classified production areas.

Advances in technology and production as well as new EU regulations are leading to changes in the fishing industry in practice in ROI. To that end, the SFPA are holding a series of Information Breakfasts which include representatives from organisations including the ROI Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; The Air Corps; Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) and the Marine Institute. These events are free to attend and a one-stop opportunity for fishermen, processors and producers to learn more about these changes and have their queries answered by experts.

Information Breakfast takes place on 11th October from 8am to 12pm at the Maritime Hotel, Bantry, County Cork.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in conjunction with safefood and the ROI Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is hosting a one-day workshop on shelf-life studies on Thursday 10th November in the DAFM Backweston Laboratory Complex, Co. Kildare. The workshop will have a very practical focus and cover topics such as; (i) what regulators expect from food business operators in terms of shelf-life studies; (ii) what legal criteria must be met throughout a food product’s shelf-life; and (iii) what options are available to help estimate, set and verify the shelf-life of food.

The workshop is free to attend and open to staff of public and private laboratories, food business operators and regulatory staff. For more information and to register please visit: www.fsai.ie/events/ 

safefood is delighted to offer one lucky crossword winner a luxury hamper of gourmet food from Arcadia Delicatessen in Belfast, delivered to your door! Simply find the hidden word in the crossword, made up from the letters highlighted, and send the answer to knowledgenetwork@safefood.eu before 31st October 2016. Good luck!

Note: This competition is open to Knowledge Network Members on the island of Ireland only.

Dr. David McCleery, Head of the Bacteriology Department at the Agri-food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) on the work of his organisation which includes creating vaccines which are used globally in ghting endemic animal diseases.

As Head of the Bacteriology Department, Dr. David McCleery leads a team of 67, providing research, analytical services and specialist advice on the control of the major bacterial pathogens of animal and public health significance.

David is passionate about his work and about AFBI’s multi-disciplinary approach. “Working alongside other disciplines and conducting innovative research and development, AFBI seeks to create novel solutions to problems and realise clear outcomes for customers,” he says.

“We have conducted lots of research projects for safefood over the years,” says David. “For example, we are currently conducting a project risk-pro ling Listeria in food production environments and recently completed a project characterising ESBL E.coli in raw meat”

“The skill base within the Bacteriology Department includes traditional and specialist bacteriology methods in addition to advanced molecular diagnostics, test development, immunology, genetics, experimental design, wildlife ecology and veterinary epidemiology. We have an international standing in bovine TB and Campylobacter research,” he says.

“We have extensive collaborations and linkages with other research organisations within Europe, North America and elsewhere in the world.”

The Salmonella Unit within the Branch is the EU recognised National Reference Laboratory for NI and conducts conformation and serotyping of Salmonella from animals and related sources in NI, and statutory and surveillance work in relation to antimicrobial resistance in food-borne pathogens.

“In the area of food safety, the specialist expertise we offer includes the detection, characterisation and control of food-borne pathogens in the food chain, food hygiene and food preservation,” explains David.

“The research undertaken aims to protect public health, add value to food products and improve industry competitiveness,” he adds.

The Bacteriology Department also participates in an Animal Health Research Club and works with the University of Edinburgh (Roslin Institute) and the Scottish Rural University College to fine map genetic variants associated with TB resistance in cattle and to investigate the feasibility of genomic prediction for TB resistance.

“We are constantly looking for innovative ways of working. For example, in collaboration with the Statistics Department at Queen’s University Belfast, we have a PhD student who has just started on a project to develop a mathematical model to assess spread and control of bovine TB integrating both domestic and wild host dynamics,” says David. 

safefood has renamed the Training and Mobility Programme to the Training and Mobility Funding Programme. Why? So that, as the saying goes, ‘it does what is says on the tin’.

The word ‘funding’ in the title highlights that safefood has a ‘funded’ programme that enables safefood Knowledge Network members to spend time in another organisation to develop their knowledge/expertise in an area related to food safety. This is an ideal opportunity for members to enhance their skills and broaden their expertise. The knowledge and skills gained can then be shared within their organisation and with other Network members. For further details on how to apply for the Training and Mobility Funding programme, email: tmp@safefood.eu or click here.

Dr. Anthony Soares, Deputy Director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies in Armagh, sees both threats and potential opportunities for the Agri-food sector on the island of Ireland in a post-BREXIT world.

So much has yet to be decided on how BREXIT will play out. Will the UK leave the single market, or if it remains, under what conditions?

As Dr. Anthony Soares of the Centre for Cross Border Studies explains: 

“BREXIT won’t happen for several years.”

In the meantime, Anthony and his team are researching and attempting to identify the main potential issues.

The most recent research in the Agri- food sector involved mapping activity in four border counties – Armagh, Down, Louth and Monaghan – among food producers, retailers, restaurants, customers and employees. It took place before the BREXIT referendum.

“The biggest concern at the moment post-BREXIT for the food sector is that there may be divergence in food supply and food safety standards between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland," he says. "This is particularly the case if the UK doesn't stay in the single market and especially so if it decides to do trade deals with other markets and as part of that accepts lower standards. Or say the UK does a deal with a Latin American country such as Brazil, which is a huge beef producer. That could leave NI open to cheap imports."

Even if the UK remains in the Single Market, because it is no longer a member of the European Union, it won't have a seat at the table in negotiating agreed standards, he points out. The same is true for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). "The UK will have no say in that going forward."

While the ROI will continue to have in uence, NI will be dependent on UK policy. It is important that the interests of the Agri- food industry in NI are represented.

Agriculture in NI has more in common with the ROI than with the sector in England, where farms are larger and there is more intensive production. The dairy and beef industry is more signi cant on the island of Ireland than it is in GB.

Cross border movement is also a potential issue. According to Anthony, food producers, particularly in the big towns around the mid- Ulster area, state that the increase of EU migrants in the early 2000s was crucial in allowing their businesses to ourish. “Without that the towns might have died,” he says.

Free movement of goods and people north to south on the island of Ireland is another important factor for the Agri-food sector. At the moment, the ROI accounts for 55-56% of all NI’s exports to the EU. People in the industry also may work on one side of the border and live on the other.

If the UK doesn’t stay within the single market, there will have to be controls. It might not be necessary to have a ‘hard’ border but there will have to be checks on any goods coming into the ROI and NI. “Whatever system is put in place, it will carry an additional nancial and administrative burden for exporters in Northern Ireland.”

So, what are the potential upsides of BREXIT for Agri-food on the island of Ireland?

Again, Anthony points out, much has yet to be decided but there is an increasing understanding on the island of Ireland that some creative thinking is required.

Productivity remains a challenge for the Agri-food sector in both NI and ROI, “There is huge opportunity for working together on the challenges on an all island basis, especially when compared with the sector in Great Britain. Working together and using all our institutions could enable the sector to innovate, increase productivity and offset the costs of price volatility and climate change,” he says.

Collaboration between the Coeliac Society of Ireland and Gluten Free Ireland sees an all-island approach to increase awareness of the disease

In April of this year, representatives from the different coeliac support organisations, including the Coeliac Society of Ireland and Gluten Free Ireland, met to discuss the challenges they face in supporting the coeliac consumer. The meeting was convened under the auspices of safefood and addressed the growing need to assist the catering and hospitality sectors in adhering to new legislation, introduced in December 2014. This legislation (www.fsai.ie/faq/allergens.html) sets out new requirements regarding allergen information and how it is displayed.

Grainne Denning, CEO of the Coeliac Society of Ireland, believes there is a body of work to be done around educating those who should be implementing this law on their premises. “Clear labelling is necessary and a book of allergens needs to be on the premises also. The regulatory authorities would like to see the full implementation of the legislation from a consumer safety perspective.”

The Coeliac Society of Ireland is a registered charity and is the primary source of information on coeliac disease in the Republic of Ireland. Grainne notes that approximately one out of every 100 people have coeliac disease, adding that “there has been an explosion in the amount of interest in the gluten free area, with people choosing to eat gluten free because they think it is healthier”. “Yet, a lot of gluten free foods have more fats and sugars in them. It has been estimated that 7% of the population have a wheat intolerance but are non coeliac. There is such a low base of understanding of coeliac disease that we, as a Society, need to get the understanding out there that it is an auto immune disease.”

Derek Thompson, founder of Gluten Free Ireland in Co. Down, agrees. Derek set up Gluten Free Ireland with his wife Christina in 2010 after discovering the lack of understanding at a hospitality level in Northern Ireland about the disease, which Christina suffers from. “We felt there was a gap in the local market and decided to start a simple database of places that my wife and I could eat out in.” This database, which has grown over the years and includes gluten free producers, is online and freely open to all. “We don’t give medical or nutritional advice but we know what it’s like to live and travel as a coeliac and that can be invaluable to a visitor coming to the island of Ireland or to a local simply wishing to visit a different part of the area.”

Collaborative efforts between the Coeliac Society of Ireland, Gluten Free Ireland and safefood ensure an allisland approach to their mission. Derek notes: “We have developed a mutual respect for each other and a level of cooperation.” This cooperation will come to fruition in September when safefood will host an event with both organisations – one in Dublin and one in Belfast – aimed at driving greater awareness in the catering community regarding allergens. The events will be of interest to those working in the hospitality, tourism and food safety industries, offering practical advice on how to manage allergens on the premises.

For more information visit www.coeliac.ie www.glutenfreeireland.com www.safefood.eu

The safefood Training and Mobility Programme (TMP) enables Knowledge Network members to enhance their skills, broaden their expertise and create linkages between those involved in food safety on the island of Ireland. Members can visit other laboratories, attend conferences, centres of excellence and other training events that are food safety related. safefood strongly promotes cross border & cross-sectoral exchanges and visits, and will fund bursaries up to €1,200 or sterling equivalent (subject to vouched costs). 12 applicants were successful in securing TMP funding in 2015. Application forms are available on the safefood Knowledge Network website, or alternatively from the Training & Mobility Coordinator at safefood

Tel: + 353 21 230 4100 or email tmp@safefood.eu

The first 2016 meeting of the members of the SAC was held at the safefood office in Dublin in April. Pictured are new members Mr. Michael Bell, Mr. Dermot Jewell, Mr Martin Roper and Ms Therese Coleman. Also photographed above is the Chair, Prof Margaret Patterson and other SAC members, Mr Robert Huey, Ms Maria Jennings, Ms Amanda McCloat, Mr Kenneth Carroll and Ms Christine Domegan. Absent members include Prof. Martin Caraher and Prof. Moira Dean.

safefood is delighted to offer one lucky crossword winner a luxury hamper of gourmet food from Arcadia Delicatessen in Belfast, delivered to your door! Simply find the hidden word in the crossword, made up from the letters highlighted, and send the answer to knowledgenetwork@safefood.eu before 8th August 2016. Good luck!

ACROSS
1 Mess, named after a famous school (4)
2 Lost, a utopia or Eden (8)
3 A type of dessert, made from whipped egg whites and sugar (8)
7 A small pickle (7)
8 A short piece of writing on a particular subject (5)
10 Food cooked in hot oil (5)
11 The seventh astrological sign in the Zodiac (5)
16 A position in American and Canadian football (11)
18 A domesticated bovine animal (2)
19 To join something else so as to increase the size, number, or amount (3)
20 A pale violet tone, flower species (5)
21 A large bird of prey (5)

DOWN
1 A yellow, medium-hard Swiss cheese (8)
2 Dried plums (6)
4 A pattern made of diamonds (6)
5 A melody for the human voice (4)
6 The activity or occupation of composing text (7)
9 A cereal grain, widely consumed across the world (4)
10 Flora and ----- (5)
12 A fair consisting of rides, sideshows, and other amusements (7)
13 A game of chance resembling bingo (5)
14 Cooked by dry heat in an oven (5)
15 A simple device for calculating (6)
16 An unsweetened custard pie with a savoury filling (6)
17 Spinach or another leafy vegetable (4)

safefood is currently considering our food safety research prioritisation over the next three years. We would like to invite you to advise on food safety issues of significance that we might focus on and share any observations you might have on the significant issues, gaps and challenges being faced that requires research to elucidate. safefood considers the entire food chain in its outlook on research, and welcomes short contributions which might focus on the topic or issue of concern; its significance; and how research will provide the added value in enhancing food safety. All contributions and feedback are welcome and can be sent to research@safefood.eu by 31st July 2016.

The island of Ireland’s reputation in food traceability remains strong, however it is crucial that we keep up to date with new global technologies to ensure we maintain our position, says Denis O’Brien, Director of Standards and Solutions GS1 Ireland

"The island of Ireland has an extremely high reputation for food traceability. We are known across the globe for our standards in food production and have been invited to address international authorities on our traceability expertise. The danger however is that we become complacent.” In order to maintain standards, Denis notes that the industry needs to continually educate itself regarding new technologies being introduced and implemented internationally.

“It is important that we invest in new technologies”. These technologies apply to different areas of data sharing. “Traceability is all about data sharing, whether internally within factories or across the supply chain. For example, product master data is where you share information about a product with a customer or supplier in an initial trading relationship – this data can change, but rarely does. Meanwhile, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) involves sending data that may refer to batches of product and it can vary from one batch to the next. This information is shared peer to peer.”

New technologies coming down the line however are delving deeper into not only the type of information being shared but also the way in which it is shared. Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS) is an open standard which allows businesses to capture and share supply chain information about the movement and status of goods. “This involves a centralised data repository that everyone can submit data to regarding a particular product – for example with fish: it can include information such as where the fish was caught, what vessel was used, where it was landed, the unique batch number, and the customer can publish that they received the product. This records and stores strong transactional information and is permission driven in relation to those that can access and add to the data.” Denis notes that while this technology is well established, the usage of it is very much in its infancy.

Another technology, which Denis refers to as “the internet of things” may be a little premature, but will be a fundamental shift in traceability in the coming years. This would allow information on products, pallets and containers to be available online, in much the same way that customers can now track packages from courier companies. “In the near future, instead of searching for information, we are going to be bombarded with it. We should be aware of this in relation to setting up new systems.”

The biggest change in product traceability, says Denis, is that at the moment it is a ‘one step forward, one step back’ process. “Currently, all you need to know is that you bought the product from a particular supplier. In the future you will need to know where your supplier bought it from.” A huge driver for this is to tackle the ongoing prevalence of counterfeiting.

“The important thing is that people who are involved in traceability educate themselves in what is happening across the globe.”

Clodagh Fitzgerald is Honorary Chair of the National Hygiene Partnership (NHP). Here, she discusses their work and developments to update training programmes

The National Hygiene Partnership (NHP) was formed in 1995 after the EU Council Directive 93/43/EEC on food safety standards was published. This flagged significant changes in food preparation standards and practices across the hospitality and catering sectors. Today, the voluntary organisation has 13 member organisations, including the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, safefood, Teagasc, the Restaurant Association of Ireland and the National Standards Authority of Ireland. “In 1995 a small group of us got together on a voluntary basis to address the fact that there was no organised training in food safety, despite there being a legal obligation to do so. Furthermore, there was no standardisation of trainers, so we created a licensing programme to redress this and provided a management training programme for the hospitality sector. Today, our trainers organise courses for the public and for larger organisations, and this programme has also been integrated in some college courses.” The NHP also works closely with safefood on an ongoing basis and has a member of safefood on the management committee.

Each year, the NHP hosts a large training seminar for their trainers and invited guests (including environmental health officers and university lecturers), and in April 2015 and April 2016 this event was held at the Aviva Stadium to mark the beginning and end of the NHP’s 20th anniversary year. “The Minister for Health at the time - Leo Varadkar - officially launched the seminar last year and this year we had the CEO of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Dr Pamela Byrne, open the event.” A key initiative at this event is the announcement of the Student of the Year Award. “This is awarded to the student who has been the highest achiever in our NHP management of food safety programme within that year,” Clodagh explains. “It is a huge honour.”

Commenting on recent developments, Clodagh notes: “In the past year we have updated our food safety management and HACCP programme, which is now completely in line with European best practice for food safety training in the catering sector. Making sure our trainers are kept up to date and that they can communicate that knowledge is of critical importance.”

For more information see www.nhp.ie

Professor Andrew Meharg, of the Instituite of Global Food Security based in Queen’s University Belfast, highlights his research into the high levels of inorganic arsenic in rice sold commercially

Researching how nutrients and other chemicals transfer from environmental media into agronomic, human and wildlife food chains is an intergral part of the work that the Institute of Global Food Security undertakes. The Institute is based at Queen’s University Belfast within the School of Biological Sciences. It houses a suite of state-of-the-art laboratories, where researchers from around the world conduct cutting-edge research into various topics ranging from nutrition through to food security.

As Prof. Andrew Meharg explains: “We operate on an international scale and collaborate with people across the world. We think about food from the soil all the way to human health and everything in between.”

Most of Andrew’s research is focused on rice and the levels of inorganic arsenic in rice. Arsenic contamination of rice is due to absorption via soil and water. Arsenic is naturally present in the environment or can result from human activities such as heavy industry. EU Commission Regulation 1006 of 2015 establishes maximum levels of inorganic arsenic in rice-based foodstuffs. These levels range from 0.2 to 0.3 mg/kg; however for ‘rice destined for the production of food for infants and young children’, the maximum level is 0.1 mg/kg. “We discovered that rice can be highly elevated in inorganic arsenic, so much of my work involves looking at why the levels can be so elevated, how much of that rice is getting into our food chain, and the consequences of ingesting such high levels of inorganic arsenic.”

Andrew points out that this EU legislation presents very real challenges for the industry. “However, a lot can be done to remove inorganic arsenic from rice. One solution is to source rice from parts of the world that have naturally lower levels of arsenic; and there are certain ways of cooking rice which can help to remove any arsenic present.” Andrew is involved in ongoing work on a global level in this area and points to a couple of projects which are currently in train. “We are currently in the early stages of a large project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council in the UK, which is focused on China and investigating how to improve urban farming and address issues of sustainability. I have just returned from China to visit field sites.” Andrew also travelled to Bangladesh recently as part of a project with the Bangladesh Agricultural University and in collaboration with the Nestle Foundation. “We were looking at commercial large scale par boiling rice plants and small scale rice plants, including a local par-boiling plant which we have made specific alterations to in an effort to reduce the levels of inorganic arsenic in the rice. It is all investigative work, and we will be educated by our findings.”

For more information visit
www.food.gov.uk/science/arsenic-in-rice

Sally Cudmore, General Manager at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC) Microbiome Institute in Cork, outlines the key pillars of work undertaken at the Institute and unveils research underway in the area of foodborne pathogens

At the heart of the APC Microbiome* Institute is a spirit of real collaboration and shared knowledge. Founded in 2003, the Institute brings over 270 clinicians, clinician-scientists and basic scientists together to work with industry in a proactive and trans-disciplinary fashion.

As Sally explains: “One of our big remits is to work with industry, and to collaborate with the food, farming and biotechnology sectors. Our research is on the microbial community, which live on and inside us: we each have more microbial cells than human cells! The real area of focus is on those microbial cells that live in our gut – bacteria, parasites, yeasts, etc. We are interested in understanding how this community affects our overall health balance and how this interplay works.”

Sally notes that in an era of growing antibiotic resistance there is a real interest in developing new antibiotics that are harnessed in the gut, as well as developing new prebiotics. This area of prebiotics is a big focus for food companies looking to develop functional foods for their portfolios. Another key pillar of the work undertaken by the Institute is the interaction between diet, the microbiota and health at the extremes of life, i.e. in infants and older people (gut microbiota is the name given to the microbe population living in our intestine). “Nutrition for infants and microbial exposure in children during their first six months is of huge importance. Also, for those in the later stages of life, past the age of 65, the diversity of the microbial community starts to collapse, and this has a knock-on affect on health. We want to try to develop a combination of palatable food ingredients, for example, that would combat this and promote better health in the gut.”

What Sally refers to as the ‘brain-gut-microbe axis’ is also a major theme. “Everyone will be familiar with the expressions such as ‘sick with fear’ or ‘butterflies in your tummy’. There is a three-way communication between the brain, gut and microbiota.” The Institute works towards a better understanding of the role of this axis in the stress response, and its links with other debilitating conditions, such as anxiety, stress, depression, autism spectrum disorders, obesity and irritable bowl syndrome.

The final programme Sally highlights is host-microbe dialogue. “This examines how human bacteria and the human host communicate with each other: what is the signalling going on? If we try to understand this signalling it may help with tackling disease.”

An interesting project currently underway looks at why everyone who eats the same batch of contaminated food does not become ill. “One possible answer,” Sally says, “is that a robust and diverse microbiome may protect some individuals against infection, with Salmonella or Listeria for example.” The APC scientists have actually shown this to be the case in some infections and are working to identify the individual bacteria and bacterial products involved in this protection. “In the future we may well be able to design diets, or develop probiotics, which will protect humans from many of the infectious diseases associated with foodborne pathogens. This might be particularly important in developing countries, where it is difficult to maintain high production standards and where good hygiene practices may not be in place.”

*Microbiome refers to the collection of genomes of microbes in a system.

25th International ICFMH Conference: Food Micro 2016 Dublin, 19th July – 22nd July 2016

ICFSNPH 2016: 18th International Conference on Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health, Switzerland, 21st July – 22nd July 2016

2016 International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Meeting: USA, 31st July – 3rd August 2016

18th IUFoST World Congress of Food Science and Technology: Dublin, 21st August – 25th August 2016

Knowledge Network Event: Molecular Methods Course, Co. Kildare, 13th – 14th September 2016