GENERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE PAPER GACS 17-2 Science Report Agenda item 3 24 March FSA Science Report to the Committee

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1 GENERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE PAPER GACS 17-2 Science Report Agenda item 3 24 March 2016 FSA Science Report to the Committee Issue This report summarises key activities and plans relating to the FSA s science work. The Committee is invited to comment on any issues raised in the report. Origin of paper Regular report to the Committee. Contacts Dr Penny Bramwell FSA Director of Science, Evidence & Research Professor Guy Poppy FSA Chief Scientific Adviser penny.bramwell@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk guy.poppy@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

2 Science Report Discussion Paper GACS 17-2 Science Report, 24 March This report summarises key activities and plans relating to the FSA s science work. Update from the CSA on his engagement programme 2. On 18 February the FSA launched Our Food Future report. Close to 200 experts from across the food industry, science and research gathered in London for the launch event and we reached almost 1 million people through social media. The aim was to develop a shared understanding of the impact medium-term changes in the global food system could have on the UK consumer. I delivered an introductory address as well as running a workshop on consumer engagement and empowerment. 3. I co-chaired a session on drivers for emerging issues in animal and plant health at EFSA s 2nd scientific conference Shaping the Future of Food Safety Together, in conjunction with the EXPO in Milan, taking place over 3 days and with around 1100 participants. One theme which emerged in this and other sessions was the need to better understand the microbiome (the overall microbiological composition of the gastrointestinal tract) and how this might affect our understanding of various food related issues in safety and nutrition, and the options available to address them. We will look to explore this further in the FSA Strategic Evidence Programme. 4. I have been representing the FSA at events closely aligned to the Agency s remit, such as at Chatham House s Food Futures event, presenting at an FSA workshop on climate change, as well as a Southampton University conference looking at antimicrobial resistance, and speaking at a University College London conference on global food security. I have also presented on the subject of Big Data at the NSF International conference, as well as contributed to an FSA workshop at the Science and Technology Facilities Council, on innovations in meat safety. 5. I have represented the FSA at the Global Food Safety Conference, participating in a plenary panel discussion on the role of Big Data and citizen science in delivering high levels of food safety in the food chain and public health. I also held meetings with food safety regulators from Germany, Canada and New Zealand to discuss ways in which increased international engagement by the FSA could help to further support the FSA Strategic Evidence Programme. 6. With regard to the FSA s developing framework looking at risks and decisions, I have spoken to relevant academics in the field from the King s Centre for Risk Management (King s College London), The Centre for the Analysis of Risk and Regulation (London School of Economics), as well a pan-european academic working group, HowSAFE, which looks at the application of risk-based regulation in the EU. The intention here is to build up a college of expert voices who might provide assistance and challenge to our work on risks and decisions. 7. I have been active internally, speaking at the FSA s Science Summit on 26 November, as well as delivering an annual seminar looking back at the calendar year. In my last report to you I noted that I have been developing a series of seminars with leading scientists, as part of my work to support FSA colleagues to engage with the wider scientific debate in key areas and with wider science communities. On 8 October 2015, Professor Sarah O Brien gave an excellent talk to FSA staff on estimating the burden of foodborne illness and why it so difficult to pin down the foods that make people sick. Discussions focussed 1

3 on the range of data sources and modelling approaches, and the multifactorial reasons why it is difficult to find out which food has caused an outbreak. 8. I have been speaking to a range of universities, with the intention of starting an internship programme at the FSA, as well as post-doctoral placements looking at how the academic community and the FSA can mutually benefit from such arrangements. Publication of SEI Strategy Delivery Plan and Forward Evidence Plan The FSA Science, Evidence and Information (SEI) Strategy Delivery Plan was published on 22 February, following its agreement by the FSA Board in November. The delivery plan sets out our high-level priorities for the science we need to develop and apply (the what ), and the way we conduct our science (the how ), in order to deliver food we can trust At the same time FSA published two supporting documents which give more detail and invite comment on the specific activities we will carry out. The SEI Programme of Work 2016 sets out the main activities of our programme over the five years of the strategy, while the Forward Evidence Plan 2016 gives more detail on the areas of new science and evidence work we hope to embark upon in the coming financial year. These documents are published (and will be updated annually), to inform stakeholders on our plans and to invite their input on better ways to formulate our needs, existing evidence that might meet our needs, and opportunities to work together. Strategic Science Microbiome workshop 11. FSA worked with the Institute of Food Research who hosted a workshop on 28 January to provide an overview and discussion on current research on the microbiome, with representatives from the ACMSF, FSA, other Government Departments and external experts. Areas discussed included: an overview of microbiome research: priorities, challenges and opportunities the impact of diet on the microbiome in early life and for lifelong wellbeing the microbiome in later life, foodborne pathogens and the implications for health understanding the role of food in the transmission of viruses and the impact of the virome leap-frogging technology to understand the relationships between foodborne pathogens and their surrounding microbial communities 12. ACMSF recognised the value of this research in supporting risk assessment, and noted that changes in diagnosis in human infection and in testing foods will have a great impact on public health surveillance. A full report on the workshop will be published before the end of March, and a seminar on the microbiome will be held in Aviation House on 27 April

4 Joint Workshop with the Science and Technology Facilities Council - Application of sensor technologies to food sector challenges 13. In late January this year, the FSA and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) held a joint workshop that explored the challenges faced by the agricultural industry and the food sector, with specific challenges around delivering Official Controls in slaughter houses. The workshop brought together a wide range of experts from multiple disciplines, ranging from astrophysicists to food technologists and Official Vets, and utilised a validated, structured problem-solving methodology called TRIZ. The workshop identified a number of keys areas where research and developmental effort should be focused, and also explored opportunities for the STFC to enable the application of technologies and capabilities to meet the identified challenges. The final report is currently being drafted for publication later this spring. Climate change workshop 14. On 2 December we held a workshop to look at the impacts of climate change on food safety. It was a very well-attended event, with almost 80 external stakeholders registered. It consisted of a combination of talks (with the keynote address from Lord John Krebs), discussions in breakout groups, and a panel discussion. The first session examined the specific issue of mycotoxins, increased levels of which have already been reported in Europe due to changes in climate; feedback from the breakout discussions on managing the risks, concerns about the legislative limits and gaps in the scientific evidence-base will be used to inform the Agency s position. The second session considered more general impacts that climate change may have on food safety (both direct and indirect), and uncovered many challenges ahead. Joint FSA/EFSA international workshop on foodborne viruses 15. On the th of February the FSA, in collaboration with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), hosted a joint workshop on foodborne viruses, held at the Royal Society, London. The event brought together nearly 130 experts from more than 20 different countries from Europe and beyond. The aim of this event was to identify knowledge gaps around three principal foodborne viruses - Norovirus, Hepatitis A and Hepatitis E viruses - and to prioritise the identified research questions to be tackled going forward. This event has delivered a clear picture of the most pressing research priorities for foodborne viruses and in addition has created a constructive environment for cooperation at national and international level, which we hope will continue as we pursue our priorities in this area. Update on Antimicrobial Resistance Review 16. In my report in October I reported that the FSA had commissioned the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) to conduct a systematic review to increase our understanding of the role food production, processing and consumption plays in the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The review is now well advanced and the final report is due at the end of March. It will then undergo peer review and we anticipate publishing the report in May The ACMSF has established a sub-group to consider topical issues in relation to AMR and the food chain. This AMR subgroup is currently considering a draft microbiological risk assessment on Meticillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the food chain and it is anticipated that this risk assessment will be published in spring

5 18. In December 2015, we consulted the ACMSF AMR sub-group on the presence of colistinresistant Salmonella and E. coli with the mcr-1 resistance gene, which had been confirmed in pigs on a farm in England. The group supported the FSA assessment that in light of the currently available evidence, the direct and indirect risks to human health via the food chain are very low in the short term (with varying levels of uncertainty). Testing for colistin resistance in E. coli from retail poultry meat has been included as part of the EU harmonised survey on AMR in retail meats, which started in January Calls for expressions of interest for innovative solutions to strategic science challenges 19. The new Expression of Interest (EoI) approach for innovative research proposals was launched in August 2015 to address strategic science challenges in five main areas: tackling listerosis, technology to support meat operations, next generation sequencing (including big data), understanding food safety risk from the use of recycled waste and optimising food and feed sampling and analysis. We received 41 outline proposals (including a number from overseas) of which 20 were invited to submit full tenders. Following extensive review and appraisal the following 5 projects were funded through the EoI process: Exploration of the potential for technology to support agency objectives in meat operations - University of Lincoln. This 9 month project aims to review currently available inspection technologies and to identify conditions affecting food safety that can and cannot be determined without current manual inspection. Total cost: 57k. Systems analysis approaches for combining NGS and big data BAE Systems. This project aims to assess the feasibility of connecting genomic and metadata via systems analysis approaches by assessing and applying state-of-the-art systems analysis and big data approaches to the problem of emerging foodborne risks. Total cost: 34.7k. The project will end in March Exploring the joint analysis of large routine data with integrated epidemiology and pathogen genomic datasets from outbreaks of GI pathogens Warwick University. This project aims to test the feasibility of integrating sequencing and outbreak investigation data with other data sets to support incident response. Total Cost: 45.5k. The project will end in June Identification and prioritisation of risks to food safety and quality associated with the use of recycled waste-derived materials in agriculture and other aspects of food production - Consortium led by ADAS. This project aims to identify potential hazards and exposure routes from waste-derived products that are used in food production. They will then rank these risks using qualitative methods. Total cost: 60.0k. The project will end in May Application of multispectral imaging (MSI) to food and feed sampling and analysis LGC. This project aims to provide actionable evidence to the practical implementation of multispectral imaging to topical authenticity, quality and safety issues associated with food and feed sampling and analysis in the UK. Total cost: 53.8k. The project will end in March The FSA is still developing its thinking with respect to tackling listeriosis (and vulnerable groups) so no projects were funded for this area through the EoI process. 4

6 Campylobacter retail survey update Discussion Paper GACS 17-2 Science Report, 24 March As reported at the last meeting, the FSA has commissioned a second year of the Campylobacter Survey in fresh chickens at retail to monitor the prevalence and levels of campylobacter contamination on fresh whole chilled chickens and their packaging and to see whether interventions that producers, retailers and processors have put in place are working to reduce Campylobacter. 22. This new survey commenced sampling in July 2015 and results are published on a quarterly basis. The two sets of results from quarter 1 and 2 (sampling period July to December 2015) can be found here: The FSA published the latest set of results for Quarter 2 (sampling period October to December 2015; 966 chickens sampled) on the 25th February The key points from the report are: 10.7% of chickens tested positive for the highest level of contamination (> 1000 colony forming units/gram (cfu/g)), down from 19% in October to December Campylobacter was present on 59% of chicken samples, down from 74% in the same sampling months of the previous year. 24. The prevalence of highly contaminated chickens has been significantly lower than the same time the previous year for both quarters of the current survey. The prevalence of highly contaminated chickens was significantly lower in Quarter 2 Oct-Dec 2015 (10.7%) than the previous quarter (14.9%). A similar fall was observed over the same period in 2014, so it is likely that at least part of this reduction is the result of regular seasonal effects. 5.7% of packaging samples were positive for Campylobacter and 0.1% of packaging samples (1 sample) had a level Campylobacter above 1000 cfu/swab The only named retailer which had a significantly lower prevalence compared to the average among all other retailers was Morrisons (5.4%); the only named retailer which had a significantly higher prevalence compared to the average among all other retailers was Sainsbury s (17.6%). An increase in the processor intervention of trimming neck skins causes some methodological issue raising questions over the validity of the reported summary measures of Campylobacter contamination in future survey results. As a result of this intervention, while making chickens safer by removing the most highly contaminated part of the chicken carcass, also means that like-for-like comparisons to data from the first year s survey may potentially be more difficult to ascertain in future quarters as most samples from the previous year will have analysed more neck skin. The FSA is currently reviewing the impact of this intervention to ensure that future survey results remain valid and robust. 5

7 Science Summit Discussion Paper GACS 17-2 Science Report, 24 March As part of a programme of events throughout the year to support Continuing Professional Development for FSA scientists and analysts from across the organisation, the Annual Science Summit was held on 26 November 2015, led by Guy Poppy and Penny Bramwell. The external speakers were Sir Mark Walport, Government Chief Scientific Adviser; Prof Ian Boyd, Defra Chief Scientific Adviser; Prof Ragnar Lofstedt from Kings College London who spoke on risk communication and Dr Steven Hill from the Higher Education Funding Council for England on benefits of science. Data Science 26. Of the three examples of work the FSA submitted to a cross-government Data Science competition 2, we were awarded first and joint third place from 41 entries. The winning entry, a tool that predicts norovirus outbreaks using twitter data was developed by Agency fast-stream Operational Researchers (Emma Clegg, Callum Staff and David Millson) following some initial proof of concept work with a London School of Economics student (Beliz Bahar). Third place went to Robin Linacre for his automation and visualisation of the analysis of HMRC open import and export data In September we launched a joint call for pilot research projects focused on the Internet of Things (IoT), co-funded with IT as a Utility, a network which is part of the Digital Economy Programme, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Four projects were funded, which are now nearing completion. On 7th and 8th March an open workshop about the research and its implications was held in London. Project reports will be published following peer review. The four projects are: A University of Nottingham team is looking at how food-growing communities can use IoT to share data that improves the accountability of local-produced food. A University of Lincoln team is working with a consumer panel to help them understand how their own fridge usage might lead to healthier habits and save themselves money. A University of Aberdeen team is investigating how inexpensive sensors can be used by catering businesses to operate both more safely and more efficiently and potentially track a food history that helps deliver recommended best practices (co-funded by Food Standards Scotland). Tiny data loggers are similarly being investigated by the University of Birmingham to track the journey of long-life sandwiches to monitor their integrity and that of the coldchain that supports their delivery. Review of the FSA s Scientific Advisory Committees 28. This will be discussed as a separate item at the GACS meeting. At the time of writing we expect that the report of the Review will be agreed and published in mid-march. The FSA is developing a plan for implementation of the review recommendations. 2 With all making the top 12, over 40 entries in total including most big departments 6

8 Science communication: CSA quarterly reports (Acrylamide, and WGS) Acrylamide Research and Report 29. On 4 November, the FSA published the second in a regular series of science reports from Guy Poppy. This issue focussed on chemical risks in food and the major topic discussed is acrylamide, a chemical contaminant that forms in certain foods during cooking. The report also looks at the use of potassium-based replacements for sodium chloride (table salt) and sodium-based additives. 30. The final report from a FSA research project looking at how cooking habits in the home can influence the levels of acrylamide that form in food was published at the same time as the report. The levels of acrylamide that people consume are usually estimated using dietary survey data and laboratory-cooked samples. These often fail to fully take account of consumer behaviour and the FSA research has been designed to address this gap in knowledge. The report indicates that consumers have a low awareness of the risks of acrylamide and often don t follow manufacturer s instructions and that this could lead to higher levels of acrylamide exposure for some people. The findings also show that domestic ovens are not entirely reliable when it comes to setting temperature. The research will be used to inform FSA acrylamide advice and action, particularly with regard to home cooked foods. It will also inform the UK s position in wider discussions at an EU level on how best to reduce consumer exposure to acrylamide from all sources. 31. Acrylamide was also one of the topics Guy Poppy covered in his expert encounter at the Science Media Centre on 11 November The next issue of the Chief Scientific Adviser s Report will focus on Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), and the increasing role that this plays in managing incidents. The report will highlight how the FSA is using recent advances in sequencing technology, and will also consider the potential future opportunities and benefits that WGS could bring. We aim to publish the report by the end of March and anticipate the publication of several other CSA reports over the coming year, focusing on subjects such as antimicrobial resistance and allergies. The Committee is asked to comment on any issues raised in the report. 7

9 Glossary of organisations ACMSF Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food DEFRA Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs EFSA European Food Safety Authority RVC Royal Veterinary College STFC Science and Technology Facilities Council 8