Microbiology
Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR) conducts indispensable research into the safety of our food. Every day we test products for the presence of pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Consider for example Salmonella or Campylobacter in chicken, or norovirus in oysters and on raspberries. In addition, we analyse our food for the presence of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. With our research, we provide support to the NVWA (Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) among others.
Our expertises on microbiology and food safety
Virology
Wageningen Food Safety Research focusses on viruses that can be transmitted through food. Viruses of this sort are often exceptionally stable: more than most bacteria, they are resistant to a large extent to desiccation and heat, and are able to remain infectious for an extremely long time. In food, this is usually longer than the shelf life of the food product. Examples include norovirus, well-known for outbreaks of gastric flu in hospitals and on cruise ships, and the hepatitis A virus, which may on exposure lead to jaundice resulting in long-term fatigue or more serious ailments. Every year, more people fall ill as a result of consuming food contaminated with norovirus than from any other micro-organism. Reliable research into the virological hazards in food is thus of great significance.
Bacteriology
Wageningen Food Safety Research focusses on research into bacteria that can be transmitted through food. We are the approved laboratory in the Netherlands for monitoring bacteriological food safety under the auspices of the NVWA (Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority). On a daily basis, we investigate hundreds of food samples from a wide range of sources for the presence of harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella and Listeria, using accredited detection methods.
Antimicrobial Resistance Research
Antibiotics are essential medicines for fighting bacterial infection. They kill the bacteria or slow their growth, allowing the immune system to clear up the infection. But antibiotics may lose their effectiveness if bacteria are no longer susceptible to them: they have evolved resistance. Copious use of antibiotics stimulates the occurrence and growth of (multi) resistant bacteria. Infection by resistant bacteria is naturally more difficult to treat. So, it is very important that we undertake global action to fight antimicrobial resistance, better known by its abbreviation AMR.
Genomics
Genomics, the study of heritability and genes (DNA) in a cell or organism, plays a significant role in the microbiological research of WFSR. A great deal of attention is paid to Genomics in researching bacteria. Virology research also increasingly makes use of Genomics applications. At Genomics, we work for example on mapping the complete DNA of bacteria: whole genome sequencing (WGS). This research provides a rich store of information. WGS allows the comparison of strains from different food products. Has a genome sequence been encountered previously? Do they have a shared origin?
Working towards food safety in the Netherlands and Europe
But research at the Wageningen Food Safety Research goes beyond the testing of products for pathogens. Our in-depth research means that we extract more from the data that we generate. Over the years, we monitor trends to compare the genetic codes of pathogens. By this means, we look proactively for sources of infection, along with our partners, such as the NVWA, the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) and the GGD (Municipal Health Service). We also analyse bacteria for the pattern of their antimicrobial resistance, working in different ways towards food safety in the Netherlands and across Europe.
Hundreds of thousands of analyses every year
Wageningen Food Safety Research is the perfect partner for research into food safety. Every year, our research associates conduct hundreds of thousands of analyses. Our laboratories are moreover ISO 17025 accredited (Dutch Accreditation Councel number L014), ensuring that we can guarantee the quality of our research.
Microbiology and food safety
Read more about our four areas of expertise: Virology, Bacteriology, Genomics and Antimicrobial Resistance Research (AMR), what goes to make up these fields, and how we make a contribution through them to food safety.
Sign up and send bacterial isolates
If you have an arrangement to sign up and send bacterial isolates to Wageningen Food Safety Research, you can do so using this form.
Why choose Wageningen Food Safety Reseach
- Laboratory and desk expertise
- Accredited research
- From classical to molecular methods
- Routine analysis and research
- National Reference Laboratory (NRL)