A strain of Clostridium difficile (CD) known as CD 078 was a rising threat to the food industry and linked to the overuse of antimicrobials – particularly in human medicine – stressed Professor Sarah O’Brien from the University of Liverpool.
Cases of CD 078 had risen in Europe since 2009 and had been associated with more severe diseases as a result of increased toxin production in the body, a recent report published by Health Protection Scotland (HPS) claimed.
‘Predominant strain’
“078 is the predominant strain of CD,” O’Brien, who is a professor of infection epidemiology and zoonoses, told delegates at the Food Manufacture Group’s safety conference last week.
“It’s a strain found [mainly] in the cattle industry in Canada and the US and similarly in foods in North America.”
The strain was the second microbial threat to the food industry in a list of four given by O’Brien, who is also the chair of the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food.
CD 078 and its potential impact on the food industry were not fully understood by experts, she told FoodManufacture.co.uk.
“But it’s coming onto the radar, which is why I mentioned it [as one of my top four food safety risks] and I think it’s going to be an area of major attention soon.”
CD 078 accounted for a very small proportion of diagnoses at the moment, but was increasing in frequency as a result of antimicrobial resistance because of the overuse of antibiotics in human and animal medicine, she said.
‘More questions’
“As we investigate antimicrobial resistance more and more, it is my guess that there will be more questions about the origins of 078 and transmission through the food industry,” she added.
“So we can expect a lot more questions to come forward about how much of our home-grown Clostridium difficile is likely to have been distributed through the food chain as opposed to through other routes.”
Consumers who were affected by CD 078 could expect to suffer from vomiting and diarrhoea, but could minimise any risk by ensuring their meat was cooked properly, said O’Brien.
Meanwhile, between January and March of 2012, CD 078 accounted for 15% of all CD cases, according to HPS. In comparison, CD 078 accounted for only 8% of CD cases in 2011.
Food safety threats on the horizon
- Antimicrobial resistance
- Clostridium Difficile
- Foodborne viruses (Hepatitis E)
- Reformulation
The food safety conference – Safe and legal food in a changing world – was sponsored by: ACO Building Drainage, Activate Lube, AON, Detectamet, FFP Packaging Solutions, the Food Advanced Training Partnership and the Institute of Food Research. It took place at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire on Thursday October 15.