Bertrand LOMBARD participated virtually (teleconference) to a part of the last meeting of the Working Group 3 on method validation of the subcommitte ISO/TC 34/SC 9 “Food products-Microbiology”. It took place on 4-6 December 2018 at Sciensano (BE-NRL for Listeria monocytogenes & coagulase positive staphylococci, Brussels). WG 3 is in charge of developing the series EN ISO 16140 on method validation/verification in food chain microbiology. This meeting was mainly dedicated to the preparation of the final vote, further to the ISO/DIS vote and CEN Enquiry, on the 4 following parts: Part 3: method verification; Part 4: method validation in a single laboratory; Part 5: factorial interlaboratory validation for non-proprietary methods; Part 6: validation of alternative (proprietary) methods for microbiological confirmation and typing procedures. The final votes are expected to be launched by mid-2019. B. Lombard ensured a liaison with WG 2 which provides a statistical expertise to prepare these standards.

On 19 and 20 September 2018, Yacine NIA organised at the NRL a training session at AGES, the Autrian NRL for CPS in Graz. This training session was dedicated to the detection of Staphylococcal Enterotoxins according to the European Screening method. Sigrid Fleck, Kornelia Voetsch, Kathrin Hauser, Andrea Kormann-Klement took part to the practical session.

Yacine NIA from EURL CPS and Kati MIELKE from BfR (DE NRL) organised on 6th September a technical meeting on the confirmatory ELISA for Staphylococcal Enterotoxins in food matrices.

The working group 17 of  ISO/TC 34/SC 9 has conducted the revision of EN ISO 18593:2018 on Horizontal methods for surface sampling in the frame of microbiology of the food chain. This working group chaired by Léna Barre (EURL for Listeria monocytogenes) was composed by 24 members and 5 observers coming from all around the world. This CEN ISO standard published in June 2018 specifies horizontal methods for sampling techniques using contact plates, stick swabs, sponges and cloths on surfaces in the food chain environment in order to detect and enumerate culturable microorganisms such as pathogenic or non-pathogenic bacteria or yeasts and moulds: Microbiology of the food chain - Horizontal methods for surface sampling (ISO 18593:2018).

The proficiency test organised by the EU RL in 2019 will be on the identification of Paenibacillus larvae, the American foulbrood agent, by microscopic examination in crushed honeybee larvae. The proficiency test will be organised in March 2019 and it will aim at evaluating the conformity (specificity and sensitivity) of the results obtained using the method routinely used in the participating laboratories for the diagnosis of American foulbrood. The deadline for registration is 15th. February 2019. We remind that these proficiency tests are mainly intended for the National Reference Laboratories and the Official Laboratories of the European Union. If other laboratories are interested in participating in a proficiency test, please contact eurl.bee@anses.fr for more information.      

AOAC Europe – NMKL – NordVal International arrange an international symposium in Oslo on 3-4 June 2019 SPEEDING TOWARDS –OMICS …. Chemical and Microbiological Food Analyses The aim of the symposium is to bring together scientists, technicians and companies to discuss emerging technologies and techniques with emphasis on recent advances and applications in food analyses. The scope of this symposium is to discuss different aspects of use, validation and application of –omics related to food, but not only.. The topics listed by the programming committee are: Genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, foodomics New rapid methods Multi-methods Hand-held instrumentation Digitalization of the analytical process (from sampling to interpretation of results) The venue is Nationaltheatret konferansenter KS Agenda, Haakon VIIs gate 9, Oslo, Norway (https://www.nationaltheatretkonferansenter.no) Ordinary registration fee is 400 EUR, 200 EUR for students. Please submit abstracts to nmkl@food.dtu.dk for poster presentations before 19 March 2019. The abstract should include the title of the topic, name of the presenter(s) and contact information. Main contents should be max 150 words. Among the abstracts we will choose some to be briefly presented. The best poster will be awarded. If you would like to contribute as an exhibitor, please notify nmkl@food.dtu.dk. For further information, please also visit www.aoaceurope.com or www.nmkl.org Deadline for registration : 19 March 2019

Wishing you all the timeless treasures of Christmas… The warmth of home, the love of family and the company of good friends. The EURL Team

EFSA and ECDC have just published the European Union summary report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food-borne outbreaks in 2017: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/181212 It includes a chapter on Listeria (Chapter 3, p. 67-85) for whose drafting we have collaborated with EFSA. Cases of listeriosis decreased slightly in 2017: 2,480 infections were reported, against 2,509 in 2016. However, the trend has been upward over the past five years. The group most affected by the disease in 2017 were the elderly, particularly those over 84. In this age group, listeriosis fatality rate was 24%. The highest levels of L. monocytogenes were detected in fish and fishery products (6%), followed by ready-to-eat salads (4.2%).

EFSA and ECDC have just published the European Union summary report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food-borne outbreaks in 2017: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/181212. In the chapter on food-borne outbreaks (Chapter 16, p. 209-250), data on FBOs due to bacterial toxins, including staphylococcal enterotoxins, can be found. In addition, a sub-chapter (17.2, p. 251-252) is dedicated to staphylococcal enterotoxins, being a microbiological contaminant covered by a food safety criterion in EC Regulation 2073/2005.

Déborah MERDA was invited by the Italian NRL, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte (IZSTo), to attend its annual workshop for their National official control laboratories (OCL). The Italian NRL presented different PTs performed along 2018. The OCL presented their recent staphylococcal food poisoning outbreaks and their research project. The purpose of the attendance of Déborah MERDA was to present the EURL for CPS work on WGS and real time PCR method. These 2 methods aroused enthousiasm among the laboratories, some were even willing to implement them in their laboratory.