Food Poisoning (Hansard, 18 July 1989)

[holding answer 3 July 1989]: Research projects, of which I am aware, include the following:

Location	Nature
MAFF, Torry Research Station, Aberdeen	Investigate the incidence and survival of clostridium bolulinum, listeria monocytogenes and other types of food bacteria and the survival of microbial toxins during cooking.
	To develop assays for the micro-biological examination of fish and shellfish products including clostridium botulinum, salmonella and listeria and to develop safety parameters.
	To identify the most effective ways of eliminating salmonella and other contamination from fish meal products.
	To detect and quantify toxins including scrombotoxin and devise means of increasing safety of processed fish products.
Communicable Diseases Unit, Ruchill Hospital, Glasgow	Case control study to test whether the consumption or handling of certain foods are risk factors in acquiring listeriosis.
Scottish Food Research Consortium, Hannah Research Institute, Ayr	Research into listeria monocytogenes and bacillus cereus in powdered milk.
Aberdeen University	Establish tests for listeria monocytogenes.
Glasgow Veterinary School	Development of salmonella typhimurium and salmonella enteritidis vaccines for hens and their unborn chickens. Also development of a test for identifying the presence of these infections in eggs.
	Investigation into the penetration of salmonella enteritidis through egg shells and its effect on egg quality.
Glasgow University	Investigation of the pathogenic mechanism, toxin production and serology of campylobacter species.
North of Scotland College of Agriculture, Aberdeen	Investigate sources of listeria in clamp and bale silage as a source of infection in the food chain.
	Improve detection of causative agent and for vaccine development identify, isolate and characterise antigens of listeria monocytogenes and to assess their effect on the virulence of the organism for sheep and mice.
West of Scotland College of	Investigate factors affecting the bacteriological quality of milk.
Agriculture, Ayr	Devise rapid method of detection of contamination in milk from major organisms causing mastitis.
	Investigate the microbiological contamination of poultry meat.
	Investigate lactic fermentation for preparation of sausage type products with poultry meat including the effect on salmonella species and other bacteria.
	Study experimental infection of birds with salmonella enteritidis phage type 4 with particular reference to egg infection.
	Investigate the factors affecting bacterial contamination of egg surfaces and bacterial penetration of the egg.
	Undertake pilot studies into novel methods of bacterial investigation of salmonella in eggs and improved methods of detecting antibodies in eggs.
Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh	Undertake immunochemical analysis of listerial species cell surface antigens for detection purposes.
	Investigate the means by which listeria gains entry to the host and causes disease in sheep.