Checking for counterfeit medication using a smartphone

Surface texture of packaging as a fingerprint

06-Nov-2023 - Particularly when it comes to medication or medical devices sold online, end-users often wonder whether these are real or fake. The SmartID counterfeit-proof barcode system means anyone can use a smartphone to check a product is genuine, provided the manufacturer uses SmartID. It can be ...

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 ...

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 ...

Deep-frozen HIV specimens

04-Oct-2007 - The development of an HIV vaccine is hindered by the rapidity with which the virus mutates. A new resource available to vaccine developers is a cryobank of frozen virus specimens collected from all over the world. A mobile laboratory will soon be collecting specimens in Africa. Researchers the ...