Food institute Campden BRI is set to hold a three-day online conference to help industry understand how to control the coronavirus as well as other pathogens including Campylobacter and Listeria.
The online conference, to be held from the 6th to the 8th October, will cover the current and future microbiology issues affecting the safe production of food with experts in the food and drink industry.
Campden BRI’s Fiona Cawkell, manager of the Campden microbiology proficiency scheme, said: “The virus that causes Covid-19 has created the largest pandemic of our lifetime and it’s playing a pivotal role in many food and drink businesses’ decision making.
“This makes our annual ‘hot topics’ in food microbiology conference possibly the most important to date, which is why we’ve brought together expert speakers to discuss how food business operators can guard against it.”
“Of course, the usual suspects that cause foodborne illness, including Campylobacter and Listeria, remain a public health concern. Experts from across Europe will discuss the issues they cause and take questions from delegates to help them tackle the threats these pathogens pose.”
Global hygiene specialist Debra Smith of industrial cleaning company Vikan will feature in the conference and explain the impact of Covid-19 on cleaning and disinfection, offering advice to companies on how to guard their factories against an outbreak to keep their workforce safe.
Fiona Cawkell added: “Of course, the usual suspects that cause foodborne illness, including Campylobacter and Listeria, remain a public health concern. Experts from across Europe will discuss the issues they cause and take questions from delegates to help them tackle the threats these pathogens pose.”
As part of the conference, professor Mieke Uttendaele from the University of Ghent will explore why the food industry is struggling to get rid of Listeria monocytogenes. The focus will also cover Campylobacter with the University of Wageningen’s Dr Maren Lanzl, as she explores the challenges of Campylobacter’s detection, while Dr Nigel Cook will cover how to rapidly screen poultry samples for this microorganism (without enrichment).
Campden BRI’s virologist Martin D’Agostino, who has presented several webinars to international audiences to the food industry over the past few months, will also discuss foodborne viruses in the food industry.
The conference will be available to view via the Campden BRI website.
