A new testing facility is set to establish in Norway,Europe to explore the survival and growth of pathogens such as E.coli and Listeria monocytogenes.
The project,which is funded by the Research Council of Norway,is an initiative of food research institute Nofima and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and is expected to be completed in mid-2013.
The facility will feature a'Biosafety level 3'grade,the second highest safety level at which the microbes being used could result in life-threatening conditions.
Nofima food safety and quality research director Helga N?s told FoodProductiondaily.com that the facility will enable researchers learn about the characteristics of microbes during the production process.
"We could see that there was demand amongst researchers to experiment with contaminated foodstuffs under controlled conditions.They were looking to add pathogenic bacteria such as E.coli and Listeria to certain foodstuffs,then study how they survive and grow in a production environment,"N?s said.
The aim of the project is to reduce the number of outbreaks and food contamination,N?s added.
The new facility will enable researchers to study on how the raw materials and products are contaminated by the equipment and conveyor belts,effective measures to destroy pathogens,and optimal method of disinfecting equipment.
