Food News

Zoonoses (more precisely zooanthroponoses) are infectious diseases that are transmitted to humans by pathogens through the consumption of animal products.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) collect data from the member states and regularly publish the EU One Health Zoonoses Report. This is now available for 2023. The most frequently reported zoonoses in humans were again Campylobacteriosis and Salmonellosis. The risk of salmonella infections due to poor hygiene is well known to the public. Common sources of infection include eggs and egg products, raw meat, raw fish, or ice cream.

Infections caused by Campylobacter are statistically on a comparable level, but many consumers are still unaware of these bacteria. Campylobacter is often found on raw poultry meat, which is why strict hygiene must be observed during preparation (cutting boards, knives, dishcloths) and why poultry meat must always be cooked thoroughly. In the list of reported cases, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) follow in third place, followed by Yersinia enterocolitica and Listeria monocytogenes.

The complete report can be found here.

Food contamination by ubiquitous germs cannot be 100% ruled out, even with the utmost care, as can be seen from the regular warnings in the European Rapid Alert System (RASFF) – see also our regular sections on this in AGROLAB RADAR. Microbiological tests are therefore among the most important and most frequently performed analyses in our food laboratories.

YOUR PLUS: Safety and speed in the laboratory are essential quality criteria for preventing expensive and image-damaging recall actions. With this in mind, we have optimised our accredited procedures and processes, as well as report data transfer, so that you always receive valid results as quickly as possible.

Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger, AGROLAB GROUP