Hussain says that the current emphasis around food safety and security tend to be based around three main pillars: food availability, food access and food use, however Hussain says that a greater emphasis on microbes also needs to be considered.
“…Although food availability is tremendously important, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Around one third of all food produced globally for human consumption goes to waste due to food safety issues such as spoilage and a loss of quality due to decay,” said Hussain.
“Microorganisms play a huge part in the food supply chain. Their impact, both positive and negative, can be enormous, whether from an economic perspective or just basic human health. Successfully attending to the microorganism aspects of food production, therefore, means less wastage. It means a more effective use of what is already produced, rather than a need to dramatically increase production levels.
“The matter is complicated further by the direct effect climate change has on microbiology as it relates to food safety,” he said. “Climate change changes the ‘playing field’. Meaning the potential for some current microbes to gain greater influence, or for new pathogens to develop.”
Dr Hussain has been invited as a representative of the University’s Centre for Food Research and Innovation to the Asian Food Safety and Security Association Conference to be held in Vietnam in August.
Hussain says that the event is highly important for ensuring healthy dialogue in the development of new food products and processing technologies, and in microbiological risks as a whole. In particular, he hopes for some useful discussion around how new antibiotic-resistant pathogens can be monitored and mitigated through targeted research and intervention.
“It’s vitally important we stay on top of the microbiology aspects of food safety and security,” he said.
