The Food and Feed Microbiology Unit of Finnish Food Authority carries out microbiological investigations related to food safety and quality, and operates as the reference laboratory in its sector. The activities are focused on foodborne pathogens, for example zoonotic bacteria and food-poisoning bacteria.
Food microbiological analyses include research projects and surveillance studies jointly with food control bodies, official food microbiology laboratories and Finnish Food Authority’s Risk Assessment Unit. In addition, the Food and Feed Microbiology Unit participates in studies involved in the reference laboratory activities and in the method development within Nordic and international cooperation.
The studies focus on zoonotic bacteria and food-poisoning bacteria, and especially on analytical methods not available in local food microbiology laboratories. The unit carries out serotyping and genotyping of bacterial isolates and analyses bacterial isolates and food samples for enterotoxins. Extended studies are performed to determine the sources of foodborne outbreaks, and process contaminations in food production lines.
The Food and Feed Microbiology Unit carries out research and development relating to methodology and culture media. The section participates in the food microbiological method development and the preparation of guidelines on quality assurance for laboratories within international (ISO/CEN, International Dairy Federation IDF) and Nordic ( Nordic Committee on Food Analysis NMKL) cooperation.