The Division of Food Microbiology, National Food Institute conducts research with the aim of supporting public and industrial needs concerning microbial food safety.

The focus is particular on foodborne and zoonotic bacteria and vira in primary production, and in food especially meat and vegetables in both conventional and organic farming as well as health effects and consumer protection related to the use of probiotics and prebiotics.

Research

The targeted research is concentrated on detection and characterization of the biology of zoonotic and foodborne zoonotic pathogens through the entire production chain from farm to consumer. The research has an applied basis with a major focus on public and food industrial needs related to food safety. Further, the division gives priority to studies of food-induced effects on intestinal microbial ecology.

Public sector consultancy

The division is counselling international and national authorities on the health risks posed by the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in food and in food processing as well as on safety assessment of microorganisms deliberately added to food and feed.

Additionally, the division assists the Danish Agency for Environmental Protection in risk assessments related to microbiological plant protection products and genetically modified bacteria.

Specific advisory tasks for Danish Veterinary and Food Administration on in collaboration with Division for Epidemiology and Microbial Genomics:

• Central Coordinated Projects (CKL)
• Case-by-case control
• Salmonella Source Account
• Outbreak investigations
• “Strengthened efforts 2011 – 2014” (Styrket indsats 2011 – 2014) on Salmonella and Campylobacter
• Qualitative risk assessments on topics that are related to the safety of different foods, microbiological food additives and ingredients (e.g. probiotics and starter cultures) and practices in food production

Surveillance activities performed in collaboration with Division for Epidemiology and Microbial Genomics:

• DANMAP (only in danish)
• Zoonosis surveillance

Other tasks:

• The division has access to several databases. The databases contain data from surveillance, commercial analytical activities and research projects carried out by Division of Food Microbiology.
• The division hosts the national strain collection, which include pathogenic bacteria isolated from food and other sources as part of diagnostics, surveillance, control and research.
• Quality assurance (QA): Diagnostic core activities are accredited in accordance with ISO17025.    

Education

The Division is responsible for the organisation and teaching at the following courses at DTU:
Food Safety in Production Chains (23102) 
Biological Chemistry  (23932). Only in danish
Basic Food analysis (23901). Only in danish

In addition, the Division contributes to the teaching at the following courses at DTU: 
Practical approaches to industrial food production (23101) 
Rapid detection, characterization and enumeration of foodborne pathogens (23834). PhD course 10 ECTS.

Collaboration

National

DTU: Chemical Engineering; Systems Biology; Veterinary
KU: Department of Basic Sciences and Environment; Department of Microbiology; Department of human nutrition; Institute for Veterinary Disease Biology
AU: Department of Food Science
Others: Herlev hospital; Viffos; Danish Meat Research Institute, Danish Technological Institute; Statens Serum Institute; Danish Veterinary and Food Administration; The Danish Agriculture and Food Council

International

University of Nebraska, CSIRO Adelaide, University of Ghent, University of Wageningen, BGI-Shenzhen; ANSES; Bonn University; IZSVe; Rutgers University; National Veterinary Institute (Sweden); Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (SMI); NoFima; Lund University; Norwegian School of Veterinary Science; University of Helsinki; MATIS; National Food Administration (Sweden); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR); Veterinary University of Vienna; TEAGASC

Industrial collaboration

Taconic; Danisco Innovations; Danisco Finland; Arla Foods; e-smiley; The Danish Agriculture and Food Council (Landbrug og Fødevarer); The Danish Shellfish Centre

Contact

Acting Head of Division Dorte Lau Baggesen