Integrating Microbiomics of the Food Chain into an Effective Food Safety Management System

The term “Microbiomics” encompasses the use of omic technologies to develop insights into the behaviour of communities of microorganisms.  The power of omics approaches (Whole Genome Sequencing, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, etc.) resides in the fact that we can now start profiling microbial communities in far greater detail than previously possible. 

These advances in science open up several opportunities to truly apply a ‘systems’  approach to microbial contaminants in the food chain and map their behaviour across the chain.  From predominantly research applications involving the identification of stress survival mechanisms, we can now extend the application to predicting the behaviour and fate of contaminants (pathogens as well as spoilage organisms) in the food chain.  This allows us to develop an integrated approach to safe and stable design of foods and processes, leading to enhanced trust in the foods that we produce.

In this talk, I will present an industry perspective on how Microbiomics approaches can become an essential part of a holistic approach to Food Safety and Stability, which at the same time is sustainable and has a positive impact on product quality.