New Salmonella Proteins Discovered

Only one small protein needs to be missing and salmonellae are no longer infectious

17-Dec-2020 - Salmonella are bacteria that can cause food poisoning with severe diarrhoea. If they penetrate from the intestine into the blood system, this can lead to sepsis, life-threatening inflammatory reactions in the entire organism. Since salmonellae are also becoming increasingly resistant to ...

Germs in the kitchen: Salmonella better known than Campylobacter

06-Oct-2017 - What health risks are consumers aware of? What are they concerned about? The answers to these questions are provided by the BfR Consumer Monitor, a representative population survey conducted regularly by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). On the one hand it reflects the ...

Contaminants in food

Health risks of natural origin are frequently underestimated

11-Sep-2017 - Just under 60 percent of the German population view undesirable substances in food as a high or very high health risk. The most well-known of these substances, which are scientifically denoted as contaminants, are mercury compounds and dioxins. In contrast, only around 13 percent of respondents ...

Old and new challenges for food safety

15-Nov-2016 - The occurrence of zoonotic pathogens and toxigenic bacteria in the food chain and the associated risk for humans were the focus of the "4th Symposium for Zoonoses and Food Safety" at the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Berlin. Around 250 participants were discussing strategies to ...

Anthrax, rabbit fever and brucellosis

How can the population be better protected from highly pathogenic bacteria in food?

08-Aug-2016 - Infectious diseases such as anthrax, tularaemia (rabbit fever) and brucellosis only occur rarely in Germany. However, these pathogens can do great harm if they are allowed, deliberately or by mistake, to enter the food chain. The reasons for such dissemination can be natural catastrophes such as ...

Spices and herbs: Ingredients which may pose a health risk

02-Jun-2016 - Spices and herbs can be naturally or intentionally contaminated with carcinogenic pathogens or foreign matter. The latter, such as certain unauthorised colorants, are often added deliberately. The EU SPICED project was initiated in 2013 to further increase the safety of the supply chains in ...

Pathogens in food: Improvements required to protect against Campylobacter, EHEC and Listeria

09-Apr-2015 - Every year, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) prepares a report on the epidemiological situation of zoonoses in Germany. The goal is to contribute towards the prevention of diseases transmitted via food. The evaluation of the data from 2013 shows that the control of Salmonella in ...

EHEC and other crises know no boundaries

Together with ANSES (France) and the National Food Institute of the Danish Technical University, the BfR is organising a symposium on the topic of how to handle and prevent crises

14-Sep-2012 - The EHEC outbreak 2011 resulted in over 50 deaths and was one of the most severe food-borne crises in Europe for a long time. Incidents like these can reoccur at any time. How can crises be overcome? What can be done to prevent them? What lessons are learned by government and society from crises ...

Dioxin and EHEC yesterday, antimicrobials today - what next?

The BfR celebrates its 10th anniversary under the motto "avoiding crises before they arise"

30-Jan-2012 - Does the use of antimicrobials in animal production pose health risks to consumers? How safe is food in Germany? From a scientific viewpoint, what events carry a health risk for consumers? What crises may we be faced with in future? Ten years after the foundation of the Federal Institute for Risk ...

EHEC outbreak 2011: Recommendations on the handling of sprouts

02-Dec-2011 - In Germany and the European Union, the investigations on the EHEC O104:H4 outbreak 2011 have now been completed. The authorities involved in the investigation have concluded that the outbreak was caused by fenugreek seeds imported from Egypt which were then used by a horticultural business in ...