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Food Focus May 2008

Science group walks the talk

The work of NZFSA’s science group is to make sure that risk management decisions about issues of food safety and suitability are solidly grounded in science

The science group is relatively small, but highly qualified. It employs 12 staff in total. Of those, five have PhDs and one is a medical doctor. The group provides science inputs to all NZFSA Business Groups and assists with development of standards and other regulatory activities. The group has an operational research budget of approximately $3.2 million. Along with generating advice to NZFSA from within the Science Group, a lot of scientific input is gained via contracts with external science providers such as ESR and Massey University.

Science Manager Andrew Pavitt says, “Quite a bit of the work done through the Science Group is reactive, however, the majority of it is proactive”. All externally contracted projects are overseen by the Science Group. “They are continually monitored to make sure the contract is delivering on its objectives.”

Answering the call

Much of the Science Group’s work is centred on long-term issues, such as strategies and interventions to reduce New Zealand’s very high rates of Campylobacter. “Protecting the health of New Zealand consumers and people consuming our foods in export markets is the primary focus of the Science Group”, Andrew says. However, when pressing issues crop up, they are dealt with immediately.

Other work may be generated by industry requests, such as from the meat industry, who might be experiencing food safety problems or need to evaluate a new technology or process. Andrew continues: “One example that immediately springs to mind is when the meat industry asked us to review the temperature requirement for water when washing knives during slaughter and dressing of animals. The standard set quite a high temperature and the industry was keen to see if there were possible alternatives that provided the same level of safety.

“By working closely with industry we can often streamline their operations and reduce their operating costs without compromising food safety.”

The Science Group also provides essential scientific inputs to risk management in the case of food safety emergencies. When 19 people recently got sick from eating comb honey, members of the team had to identify the toxin that had caused it, which required working out a new methodology for testing, and finding labs that would be capable of carrying out the work. In another case they followed up on concerns from across the Tasman where high lead levels were found in the glazing of tagines, prompting domestic testing of a range of imported pots to establish whether the same problem existed in New Zealand.