Building a Portuguese Food Microbiological Information Network

Introduction: The integration of food data from research, microbiological monitoring, epidemiological investigation and disease surveillance is crucial to manage foodborne risk. Consequently, INSA launched the Portuguese Food Information Resource Programme (PortFIR) in a partnership with GS1 Portugal to create national food chain expert networks and sustainable databases on food composition, consumption and chemical and microbiological contamination. Presently, the Food Microbiological Information Network (RPIMA) is being built. Purpose: The purpose is to build RPIMA including users and stakeholders, food microbiological data producers and regional authorities on agriculture and health to maximize resources (data, knowledge, financial, human, equipment…), spread knowledge and amplify the national capability. Methods: Potential users, stakeholders and data producers were identified and invited to participate in RPIMA through an e-mail questionnaire. A network meeting was organized to present, discuss and approve RPIMA’s goals. Structured brainstorming with experts of all food chain steps was used to define thematic working groups. Terms of Reference of PortFIR transversal working groups (WGs), “Users”, “Organization and Transfer of Information” and “Support to Standardization Work” were adapted to microbiology specificities through consensus within the WGs. Results: Currently the network has 82 members covering activity areas like food production and trade, risk assessment, research and education. RPIMA’s goals approved at its 1st annual meeting in October 2010 were a) to collect food microbiological information produced in different contexts, b) to standardize and c) analyse it and d) to make it available to national and international users and stakeholders namely risk assessors and risk managers. The brainstorming meeting took place on January 2011 and lead to the creation of 2 WGs: “Food Chain Microbiological Occurrence” and “Foodborne Outbreaks” whose reference terms are being defined. Presently, the Terms of Reference of the transversal WGs are under discussion. Significance: The results obtained so far regarding involvement and willingness to share data and knowledge indicate that RPIMA will allow to 1) monitor food microbiological occurrence, 2) biotrace foodborne outbreaks, 3) detect antibiotic resistance emergence, 4) provide scientific evidence for risk management, good hygiene practices and optimization of HACCP systems 5) quantify the impact of risk management decisions, 6) trace climate change impact and 7) identify information gaps to be researched in order to improve food safety