Fera News

TESTA - Protecting global food security

info@fera.gsi.gov.uk — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:52:03 GMT

The increasing global population continues to put pressure on food supplies. Combined with the impacts of climate change and global trade, which have increased the spread of plant pests and disease, this raises concerns about global food security.

Seed is the basic unit of crop production and therefore, food production. Seed-borne pathogens may cause disease or death of plants resulting in yield reduction. In addition, seed is produced and traded across the globe and can carry and spread pests and diseases very efficiently to key production areas.

Fera scientists are leading a major EU-funded project (TESTA) which will look at how and what pests and diseases are transmitted by seed, together with the reliable detection and disinfection of contaminated seed, thereby helping to boost yields.

One of the partners in the project is Prof. Terry Aveling, the chair of the Seed Health Committee for the International Seed Testing Association. The Association’s involvement will ensure that results of the project are focussed on global needs and are available for use by seed testing laboratories around the world.

Fera retains NRL status for another four years

info@fera.gsi.gov.uk — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:42:44 GMT

Under open competition, Fera has successfully secured the position of National Reference Laboratory (NRL) in the areas of Materials and Articles in Contact with Food, Dioxins and PCBs in Feed and Food, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Mycotoxins in Feed and Food and Heavy Metals in Feed and Food, for another four years. This was awarded by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as Competent Authority under Regulation (EC) No 882/2004. Fera has acted as an NRL for these areas since 2008 and will now continue in this role until 2017.

NRLs help towards assuring chemical safety in food under Official Food and Feed Controls Regulations by liaising with the relevant European Reference Laboratory (EU-RL) and providing a high level of impartial scientific and technical support to the UKOfficial Feed and Food Control Laboratories (OCLs) and the Competent Authority. Fera is a UKAS accredited laboratory under ISO17025.

More information on the work of the Fera NRLs is available on our dedicated website:

www.defra.gov.uk/fera/nationalreferencelaboratory

Fera’s growing portfolio of protein and DNA based analysis continues to support foodchain safety

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:49:57 GMT

Undeclared horsemeat in beef products highlighted an urgent need for industry and authorities to test meat and meat products for the presence of horse and phenylbutazone (‘bute’), a veterinary painkiller often used in horses but which is banned from the food chain.

Fera, a UK National Reference Laboratory for veterinary medicines, played a key role in supporting the UK Food Standards Agency when they requested the urgent analysis of meat and meat products for bute. Fera tests over 30,000 samples annually for veterinary medicines so is well used to reprioritising resources to meet the demands that such urgent investigations require.

Fera is also working with the food industry to supply authenticity testing using DNA-based methods developed by its scientists. These provide unequivocal identification of various species of meat in food or feedstuffs. Fera has also developed protein-based methods which can be used to test processed or cooked food, where the DNA may have been destroyed. Tests for determining the species origin of gelatine in a vast array of food products are also available.

This growing portfolio of protein and DNA-based methods for species identification in raw, cooked and complex foods highlights Fera’s expertise and capacity for providing evidence for authenticity, adulteration and contamination.

Wireless wanderers – tracking bee foraging

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:48:35 GMT

The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) released a report in January indicating that neonicotinoid pesticides had been found to pose a risk to bee health. To address the need for further information for use in regulatory risk assessments, a Defra funded project at Fera is helping to design more effective field studies – these will provide valuable information on foraging honey- and bumble bees.

The project is looking at the use of a novel wireless tracking system. It uses radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data from special tags attached to the bees, giving feedback on their movements.

However, before this novel system can be put into practise Fera scientists are helping to establish the optimum number of bees which should be tracked per colony, for how long, and how many colonies to assess.

PRESS RELEASE - Flies: from nuisance to nutrition

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:21:54 GMT

22 May 2013

A new €3 million, EU-funded project, PROteINSECT, is investigating how flies can contribute to the growing demand for protein in animal feed.

With an increasing global population and a rise in per-capita meat consumption in developing countries, there is a need to investigate alternative sources of protein for use in animal feed. Europe’s high demand for feed protein is currently largely met though imported soya.

For generations, a variety of insects have been a valuable source of protein for both human consumption and animal feed across continents other than Europe. As consumption habits shift to pork, chicken and fish, insects have the potential to be utilised more effectively as a natural ingredient in high-protein feed.

Although there is growing European interest in insects as a novel source of HUMAN FOOD the PROteINSECT project is focussing solely on the potential use of insects in ANIMAL FEED.

The three-year project, launched earlier this year, is being led by scientists at The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera), located near York. Elaine Fitches, Coordinator of the PROteINSECT global consortium, commented,

“The potential of insects as a source of valuable protein has been recognised by scientists at Fera for a number of years. With expertise in entomology and food safety, Fera is ideally placed to lead the evaluation of insects as a sustainable source of protein in animal feed.”

Insects need a feed source themselves, and to avoid competing with other uses, PROteINSECT will focus on the use of waste materials for production of fly larvae.

Elaine continued: “PROteINSECT is focusing its research efforts on flies not only for their ability to grow rapidly on a range of organic wastes, but also because there is already considerable expertise in countries such as Mali, Ghana and China. PROteINSECT provides us with the opportunity to work in partnership to exchange and build on existing expertise and improve methods suitable for both local and commercial scale production.

With 3 billion extra mouths to feed by 2050, the need to improve the efficient use of land for protein production and the effective utilisation of waste materials has never been greater. Flies, whilst considered traditionally as a household nuisance, have the potential to become a cost-effective novel source of protein for animal feed.”

The PROteINSECT consortium consists of a diverse group of partners from Europe, Africa and Asia, ranging from feed industry multinationals, research centres and universities, to farmers. Fera in the UK is co-ordinating the project.

ENDS/ Notes follow

Notes for Editors:

1. PROteINSECT combines expertise in insect breeding, animal feed production and food safety together with life cycle analysis. The project will demonstrate the feasibility of the use of insect-derived proteins in animal feed through trials with fish, poultry and pigs. It will also evaluate quality and safety along the food chain from insect protein itself, to incorporation into feed and ultimately human consumption of insect-protein-reared livestock. The use of organic waste for insect rearing will be examined.

2. The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) is acting as co-ordinator of the PROteINSECT project. In addition Fera are lead scientists for WP3 (see below) and are also participating in WP1 (Insect Production methods) with focus on housefly (Musca domestica) rearing methodologies. Fera is an Executive Agency of the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Its remit is to provide robust evidence, rigorous analysis and expert professional advice to government, international organisations and the private sector, in order to support and develop a sustainable and secure food chain, a healthy natural environment, and to protect the global community from biological and chemical risks.

3. WP3 Quality and safety. PROTEinSECT will carry out a comprehensive assessment of the quality and safety of insect derived extracts (both crude and processed) and their suitability for incorporation into animal and fish feed, ensuring that they comply with current regulations that limit undesirable substances in foodstuffs (EC Directive 2002/32). WP3 will study the nutritional composition (e.g. amino acids, fats), safety (chemical and biological), allergenicity and quality (e.g. taints) of insects and insect protein for dietary use. This WP will also identify other high value products such as vitamins, minerals and chitin as by-products of the protein production process.

Further information from:

Media Officer: Alison Wilson, Tel: 01904 462380,

Email: alison.wilson@fera.gsi.gov.uk

The Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ

Authentik way to combat food fraud

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:47:20 GMT

Food fraud affects UK brands, retailers and industry reputations, leading to a loss of revenue and potential food safety issues. To combat this, technologies have been developed allowing the authenticity and provenance of foods to be verified. Maps that contain chemical fingerprints from food, known as ‘Isoscapes’, can be created against which suspect foods can be compared to determine their authenticity. However, until now the costs associated with setting up the databases required to enable this technology has prevented industry from adopting it.

Now a new Technology Strategy Board funded ‘Authentik’ project at Fera, in collaboration with Food Forensics Ltd and PerkinElmer, is working to remove this barrier and allow ‘Isoscape’ technology to be brought to market. Fera scientists are determining the most appropriate technology for authentication and creation of fingerprints, based on consideration of accuracy and cost-effectiveness.

This will ensure the integrity of British food and drink in existing and emerging markets. It will also promote and protect British food and drink in National and International markets in collaboration with the private sector.

PR - “Stop the Spread” show garden highlighting plant and tree health wins silver medal at Chelsea

marketing — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:41:39 GMT

21 May 2013

The groundbreaking “Stop the Spread” show garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show has been awarded a silver medal.

The “Stop the Spread” garden was created by garden and landscape designer Jo Thompson and commissioned by the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera). The garden contrasts the beauty of a British garden with the potentially damaging effects plant pests and diseases and invasive non-native species could have on our natural environment in a way never seen before at the Show.

The Fera show garden design includes a beautiful sunken garden featuring herbaceous planting and a sculpture by Tom Stogdon, bordered by quintessential woodland trees and lush shade-loving planting.

This is contrasted with a symbolic avenue of bare and lifeless trees, an island holding a single seedling in a black pool and garden walls covered with an intricate pattern of Phytophthora ramorum and Chalara fraxinea spores and leaves of the highly invasive non-native aquatic plant Floating Pennywort.

David Slawson, Head of Plant Health Public engagement at Fera said:

“A huge thank you goes to Jo Thompson for translating my ideas into the eye-catching design that has made such an impact on the media and the public.

“Raising public awareness and providing advice about how everyone can help us prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests and diseases is a high priority for Government.

“The RHS Chelsea Flower Show offers us an innovative way to reach a large target audience of gardeners and professionals.

“Ultimately we want to change the behavior of gardeners so they take action including being more aware of the provenance of their plants, being more patient in planting small plants and watching them grow; cleaning footwear and other equipment regularly; avoiding bringing plants or cuttings home from trips abroad and preventing plants from escaping out of gardens.”

Garden designer Jo Thompson, said:

“I’m delighted with all the positive comments I have received so far about the “Stop the Spread” garden and all the media attention that the garden has generated. The garden is meant to be thought provoking. I designed it for Fera to creatively show what impact plant pests and diseases, and invasive non-native species, can have on our environment now and for future generations.

“I pushed the boundaries of the design by including some dramatic darker elements such as the lifeless trees to show the worst case scenario of what could happen if we did nothing to stop the spread of plant pests and diseases.

“I do hope the garden will continue to highlight to the public that we can all work together to protect our natural heritage.”

The discovery of ash dieback in 2012 reinforced the need to step up efforts to reduce the likelihood of accidently introducing and spreading pests, diseases and invasive species which could severely impact on our natural environment.

Tree diseases such as Chalara (ash dieback) and Phytophthora ramorum, and pests such as Oak Processionary Moth, can kill or weaken trees, while invasive plant species, such as Floating Pennywort and Water Primrose, can grow out of control clogging garden ponds.

When they escape from gardens into the wider environment, pests, diseases and invasive non-native species can cause extensive environmental and economic damage. For example, in Britain alone, the damage caused by invasive non-native species is estimated to cost at least £1.7 billion every year.

Professor Chris Gilligan launched the publication of the independent taskforce report on tree health and plant biosecurity from the ‘Stop the Spread’ garden yesterday. The taskforce, which was set up as a result of the discovery of Chalara fraxinea in the UK last year, to consider and address the current and possible future threats to tree health, made a number of recommendations on how the UK can fight tree and plant pests and diseases.

Sponsors and supporters of the “Stop the Spread” show garden include Defra, Forestry Commission, National Trust, Welsh Government, Scottish Government, Woodland Trust, Horticultural Trades Association and Timber Packaging and Pallet Confederation.

For more information on the Chelsea garden (including the plant list) visit: http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/events/chelsea2013/aboutTheGarden.cfm

Images of the garden are available at: http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/events/chelsea2013/pressImages.cfm

A time lapse video of the garden being built is available at: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chelseaflowershow/

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

1. The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) is an Executive Agency of the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Its remit is to provide robust evidence, rigorous analysis and expert professional advice to government, international organisations and the private sector, in order to support and develop a sustainable and secure food chain, a healthy natural environment, and to protect the global community from biological and chemical risks. For more information see http://www.defra.gov.uk/fera

2. The GB Invasive Non-native Species Framework Strategy sets out the strategic approach that government, industry and non-government organisations are following to help protect Great Britain from the impact of invasive non-native species. Through campaigns, including Be Plant Wise (https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/nonnativespecies/beplantwise/), the Strategy aims to raise awareness of invasive non-native species and what the public can do to help stop their spread.

3. Jo Thompson is a landscape and garden designer based in Kent. Jo designs a wide range of gardens from tiny rooftop spaces to residential gardens, public spaces and country estates, both in the UK and overseas. This is Jo’s fourth Show Garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. For more information see http://jothompson-garden-design.co.uk

Media Contacts:

Tamara Sperling, External Communications Officer, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs +44 (0) 20 7238 2091 or tamara.sperling@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Alison Wilson, Media Officer, The Food and Environment Research Agency +44 (0) 1904 462380 or alison.wilson@fera.gsi.gov.uk

Fresh fields

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:33:47 GMT

A final year student at the University of York has recently completed an internship with Fera’s Land Use and Sustainability specialists. Unjulie Maumi was one of six interns working on a Natural England (NE) funded project, assessing the impact of policy on the agricultural environment using aerial photography and historic mapping ranging from the 1930s to the present day.

Unjulie’s first task was to compile historic maps and aerial photography for the selected areas under consideration – she then used these to demonstrate the changes in land use which have occurred between then and the present day.

Unjulie explains:

‘Initially we were finding the relevant maps and images to the study sites that were allocated to this project. Then we had to scan and rectify the images using a software programme called ArcGIS - it was interesting to see how the aerial photographs were updated. Overall, I found the internship insightful and I have gained skills in team working and using ArcGIS software.’

PRESS RELEASE - Environment Secretary welcomes taskforce report into tree and plant health

info@fera.gsi.gov.uk — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:15:33 GMT

20th May 2013

A new report on combating tree and plant pests and diseases has been given strong backing from Environment Secretary Owen Paterson.

Speaking during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show today, 20 May, Mr Paterson called on everyone to get involved in the battle to protect trees and plants.

This year the Chelsea Flower Show is hosting the “Stop the Spread” show garden which was part funded by Defra and the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera). The garden has been designed to show the importance of taking action now to tackle damaging plant pests and diseases.

The garden, created by award winning designer Jo Thompson, contrasts a healthy natural environment with a symbolic avenue of lifeless trees as a demonstration of what could happen if tree and plant diseases were left unchecked.

The garden’s appearance at the Chelsea Flower Show coincides with the publication of the independent taskforce report on tree health and plant biosecurity, which has made a number of recommendations on how the UK can fight tree and plant pests and diseases. The Taskforce was set up by Owen Paterson as a result of the discovery of Chalara fraxinea in the UK last year, to consider and address the current and possible future threats to tree health.

Commenting on the report during his visit to the Fera garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said:

This garden shows us what the worst case scenario could be if diseases were left to take hold of our trees. We’re not going to allow that to happen and today’s report will help us in the fight against pests and diseases in the future.

We are already working on implementing a plant health risk register and are putting plans in place to predict and control the spread of tree diseases.

Everyone’s got a role to play in this. I’m going to hold a summit with all the main people, groups and businesses who have an interest in our trees. We’re going to work together to make sure we protect our woodlands.

I am also taking action to protect our sweet chestnut trees by going for an import ban from areas where sweet chestnut blight is a problem.

Defra has written to the European Commission to ask them to take urgent action to ensure that only chestnut trees from disease-free areas can come into the UK. In the meantime a six week consultation is being launched this week on banning the import of sweet chestnut trees before the next planting season starts.

The Taskforce is comprised of academics whose specialism is plant health, chaired by Professor Chris Gilligan of the University of Cambridge.

The Taskforce’s recommendations are that the Government should:

· Develop a UK Plant Health Risk Register;

· Appoint a Chief Plant Health Officer to look after the Plant Health Risk Register;

· Develop and implement procedures to predict, monitor, and control the spread of pests and diseases;

· Review, simplify, and strengthen governance and legislation;

· Improve the use of intelligence from EU/other regions and work to improve the EU regulations concerned with tree health and plant biosecurity;

· Strengthen biosecurity to reduce risks at the border and within the UK;

· Develop a modern, user-friendly system to provide quick and intelligent access to data about tree health and plant biosecurity; and

· Address key skills shortages.

Mr Paterson announced today that work would begin right away on the recommendations around developing a plant health risk register and implementing procedures to predict, monitor, and control pests and diseases. The rest of the recommendations will be examined and responded to later in the summer.

Professor Ian Boyd, Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser, said:

It is crucial that Defra’s work on tree and plant health is underpinned by the best science. That’s why I brought together this group of scientists to give us their ideas and advice. Now we’re going to examine their recommendations, working with key groups to work out how to improve our biosecurity.

The Fera “Stop the Spread” show garden underlines the message that only by working together can the range of tree and plant pests and diseases be prevented from impacting on green spaces.

Mr Paterson added:

I hope that this hard-hitting garden really gets our vital message across to gardeners and businesses alike. Whether you’re a company importing plants on a commercial basis or someone bringing back a cutting from abroad, a pest can travel as an unwelcome stowaway and have a potentially devastating effect.

Sponsors of the “Stop the Spread” show garden include Defra, Forestry Commission, National Trust, Welsh Government, Scottish Government, Woodland Trust, Horticultural Trades Association and Timber Packaging and Pallet Confederation.

· Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Expert Taskforce: Final report

PRESS RELEASE - New partnership to target environmental issues

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:55:06 GMT

13th May 1013

The University of Bristol has today [13 May] announced it will be working in partnership with a Government research agency to help ensure vital research into the environment, food security and animal welfare is communicated and utilised by policy makers.

Research staff and students linked to the Cabot Institute will join forces with the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), whose role is to provide robust evidence, rigorous analysis and professional advice to Government, international organisations and the private sector.

It focuses on the big issues of developing a sustainable food chain, supporting a healthy natural environment and protecting the global community from biological and chemical risks, with over 600 research projects and over 7,500 government and commercial customers.

The new partnership between FERA and the University of Bristol will focus on food security, animal health and welfare, wildlife, pollinators and the environment.

The collaboration will lead to the co-funding of PhD students, staff exchanges, the implementation of joint Masters degree courses, joint bidding for research funding and working together to improve the impact and translatability of research.

Professor Eric Thomas, Vice Chancellor of Bristol University, and Professor Robert Edwards, Chief Scientist at FERA, signed a formal agreement to signify the start of the relationship. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed before the Cabot Institute’s External Advisory Board meeting – the first since Professor Sir John Beddington took over as Chair of the Board.

Professor Eric Thomas said: “We are delighted to be able to formalise this relationship with FERA. It brings exciting opportunities for new research which will address some of the most significant and complex environmental challenges faced by countries around the world.”

A joint workshop between scientists from the University and FERA identified a number of new overlapping research interests. These include developing machine vision and algorithms to automatically identify wildlife.

FERA’s Chief Scientist, Professor Robert Edwards, added: “This new collaboration maximises the synergies between the two organisations and will lead to the co-funding of PhD students, staff exchanges, the implementation of joint Masters degree courses and joint bidding for research funding.”

Paul Bates, Director of the Cabot Institute, said: “Food security and the environment are two areas of enormous importance to the UK, and are also key activities for the Cabot Institute. Collaborations of this nature are essential to tackle complex issues of farming, food and the land. We’re hopeful the partnership will lead to the University’s research being communicated and taken up by policy makers so that it can make a real difference.”

The Cabot Institute is also part of The Food Security and Land Research Alliance (FSLRA) – comprised of scientists from Exeter, Bristol and Cardiff universities, in partnership with Rothamsted Research – which brings together world-class expertise across a range of disciplines, from biosciences and agricultural science to economics and the humanities, to look at how we can sustainably feed a growing population.

-ENDS-

Notes to the editor:

A photograph of Professor Robert Edwards and Professor Eric Thomas signing the agreement can be downloaded from here: https://fluff.bris.ac.uk/fluff/u3/inpaw/Nto5B5EPfGuTiCkKEXBTmgFf4/

The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) is an Executive Agency of the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Its remit is to provide robust evidence, rigorous analysis and expert professional advice to government, international organisations and the private sector, in order to support and develop a sustainable and secure food chain, a healthy natural environment, and to protect the global community from biological and chemical risks.

The Cabot Institute at the University of Bristol carries out fundamental and responsive research on risks and uncertainties in a changing environment. Its interests include natural hazards, food and energy security, resilience and governance, and human impacts on the environment. Its research fuses rigorous statistical and numerical modelling with a deep understanding of interconnected social, environmental and engineered systems – past, present and future. It seeks to engage wider society – listening to, exploring with, and challenging stakeholders to develop a shared response to 21st century challenges.

For further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact Philippa Walker in the University of Bristol Press Office on 0117 9287777 or philippa.walker@bristol.ac.uk

Fera is supporting sustainable farming at Cereals 2013

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:20:34 GMT

Cereals is the leading technical event and agricultural show for the UK arable industry. This year the Fera stand is a joint Defra family one which includes exhibits and staff from Natural England, Rural Payments Agency, Environment Agency, Catchment Sensitive Farming and Fera. The theme for the stand is ‘Supporting Sustainable Farming’.

Fera’s display will focus on the laboratory’s work along the agri-food chain - from laying the foundations of a stable food chain through protecting value in the field and in store, to toxins in food and contaminants in production. The stand will feature Crop Monitor, an innovative disease assessment tool smart app, plus an interactive pest and disease display.

The Crop Monitor app allows farmers in-field access to updates from Fera’s web based information service for wheat growers (www.cropmonitor.co.uk). The laboratory monitors real wheat crops every week for disease activity, and disseminates the information to growers, helping them make crop management decisions.

For more information on Fera’s crop protection and monitoring services, contact: moray.taylor@fera.gsi.gov.uk

Gardeners’ Question Time at Fera!

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:18:40 GMT

Tune in to hear Gardeners’ Question Time from Fera’s York site, with Eric Robson as the chair and Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood and Alison Pringle on the panel. You can also join Pippa as she enjoys a visit to the labs and glasshouses to chat to scientists about some of the plant work Fera does, such as the downy mildew survey.

The programme will air initially on Friday 10 May at 3pm, and again on Sunday 12 May at 2pm.

After Friday, you can also listen any time at this link: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s8vd9.

Farming Today - Fera's Chelsea garden

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:46:50 GMT

Listen to an interview recorded at Chelsea by Charlotte Smith on Fera’s show garden, broadcast 9th May. You can listen for the next seven days at www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s89vv (the piece starts at 05.30 minutes in, and ends at 09.45).

PRESS RELEASE: OPAL Tree Health Survey Opens Today

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:42:22 GMT

9th May 2013

Are your trees in good shape? Become a tree investigator with the OPAL Tree Health Survey

The Open Air Laboratories’ (OPAL) seventh nature survey, Tree Health, opens today.

Spring into action and discover more about our trees by taking part in the OPAL Tree Health survey. OPAL researchers, together with experts from the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) and Forest Research, are asking everyone to examine the trees in their local area and keep a special eye out for pests and diseases, particularly those affecting our most loved trees, Oak, Ash and Horse Chestnut.

Survey activities are fun and include identifying trees, measuring their girth and height, examining the trunk, branches and leaves for signs of poor health and recording the presence of pests and diseases.

Dr Linda Davies, Director of OPAL at Imperial College London said: ‘Tree Health is one of the most exciting and important surveys OPAL has developed so far. It is the seventh in our series of nature studies designed for people of all ages and abilities to start exploring and recording local nature. And, whilst learning about local trees and gathering lots of interesting information, local people can also contribute their findings to a national research programme investigating the condition of the nation’s trees and the factors affecting them.’

The OPAL Tree Health survey offers an engaging way of learning about nature while spending quality time outdoors. It will encourage and help participants to understand more about their local trees and their health.

Participants will become skilled in identifying wildlife and in recording biological information. At the same time, they will contribute to the national research programme being carried out by Forest Research, the research agency of the Forestry Commission that is investigating the health of Britain’s trees and the spread of pests and diseases.

Joan Webber, principal pathologist at Forest Research, said, ’Input from across Great Britain will help us to develop a comprehensive picture of tree health and contribute to the database of information that we are building’.

Any tree can be surveyed and the information will be useful to researchers. However trees are particularly vulnerable to new threats arriving in the country, so the Tree Health survey also includes a guide to six of the Most Unwanted pests and diseases which could spell disaster for our forests if they spread across the UK; diseases such as Ash dieback and pests like the Emerald ash borer.

David Slawson of Fera and Chair of the OPAL Tree health Survey team said, ‘People are passionate about trees. They genuinely want to help and the OPAL Tree Health survey will provide them with a great way to get involved. Their contribution could help us to spot any new threats that may have arrived in the country and give us the best chance of eradicating them before they spread’.

Anyone can take part in this national study led by OPAL, a nationwide partnership to inspire communities to discover, enjoy and protect their local environments, funded by a grant from Big Lottery Fund. You can download or request your free survey pack, including tree identification guide, field notebook, field guide and Six Most Unwanted card from www.OPALexplorenature.org.

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact Giorgio De Faveri, OPAL Communications Officer, 020 7942 5946, g.de-faveri@nhm.ac.uk

Notes to editors

1. Survey packs may take a few days to be posted to your address, if you want to get stuck in straight away, go to www.OPALexplorenature.org and download the printable version.

2. Open Air Laboratories (OPAL), led by Imperial College London, (www.imperial.ac.uk), is a nationwide partnership initiative that inspires communities to discover, enjoy and protect their local environments. OPAL provides the skills and materials needed for the first national community-led study of the world around us. OPAL is funded by £14m grant from Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme. For more information, please visit www.OPALexplorenature.org.

3. OPAL is committed to the environment. The survey is printed on 100% recycled paper, totally chlorine free and received the Forestry Stewardship Council Chain of Custody certification. All printed materials use vegetable-based inks, which makes the de-inking stage of paper recycling much easier. The pack is supplied in a clear plastic bag made from biodegradable cornstarch and the pencil supplied in the pack is mostly made from recycled newspapers.

4. The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) is an Executive Agency of the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Its remit is to provide robust evidence, rigorous analysis and expert professional advice to government, international organisations and the private sector, in order to support and develop a sustainable and secure food chain, a healthy natural environment, and to protect the global community from biological and chemical risks.

5. Forest Research is the Forestry Commission's Research Agency and is the UK's foremost body for forest and tree related research including tree health issues, surveying and monitoring, silviculture, ecology and social science. We also have expertise in hydrology, land stability and urban greening and we lead in forestry adaptation and the contribution of forestry to climate change mitigation. Forest Research's work informs the development and delivery of UK Government and devolved administration policies for sustainable management and protection of trees, woods and forests. www.forestry.gov.uk/forestresearch

6. The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been providing grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006. Full details of the work of the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

New Rapid Method for Detection of MRSA

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:55:19 GMT

The bacterium MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is responsible for difficult to treat infections in humans. It is a particular issue in ‘point-of-care’ (POC) settings such as hospital assessment rooms where a rapid means of detecting and identifying the bacterium in humans is badly needed.

The feasibility project PROMPT, involving cutting edge work from Fera and funded by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), was successfully completed in 2012. Follow on funding has now been awarded by the TSB Biomedical Catalyst competition (Prompt-Plus project) for Fera, the University of Leeds and ELISHA Systems Ltd to develop a working prototype that will enable identification of MRSA in human samples within 45 minutes or less.

The prototype, coupled to a dedicated sampling device being developed by the team, will be designed for use in non-laboratory environments as a POC device, allowing the rapid screening of patients for MRSA. This will help to prevent healthcare acquired infections and MRSA outbreaks in hospital settings.

In addition to the detection of MRSA, the principles of the technology could be developed for other settings where rapid detection of pathogens is needed, such as sepsis and infections where speed of diagnosis is vitally important for patient survival.

Fera volunteers helping National Nature Reserve

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:58:06 GMT

When Fera’s EcoChemistry experts swapped their lab for the great outdoors in North Yorkshire, they got to play an important part in conservation in their local area.

All Civil Servants get one day for volunteering each year. Many Fera scientists choose to do some work in the outdoors as a contrast to their laboratory based jobs. As such Natural England’s Skipwith Common National Nature Reserve seemed like a good place to lend a hand.

The Reserve is grazed by various livestock, including longhorn cattle, which helps to manage the bracken and heather. The aim of the day was to fence off an area of reed bed to allow it to regenerate. The cattle can do damage if they spend time in these areas so fencing it off allows re-growth, helping to support reed warblers and the rare silky wainscot moth.

The task would have been much more difficult for the Reserve staff to achieve on their own, and they were only too happy to keep the volunteers going with numerous cups of tea!

“Brilliant” was how one scientist described the day, as his team went home exhausted, but with a sense of achievement.

PRESS RELEASE: Groundbreaking garden at Chelsea to help “Stop the Spread” - gardening release

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:15:12 GMT

Wednesday, 24th April 2013

A groundbreaking show garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show called “Stop the Spread” will contrast the beauty of a British garden with the potential damaging effects plant pests and diseases could have on our natural environment in a way never seen before at the Show.

Created by award winning garden and landscape designer Jo Thompson and commissioned by the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera), “Stop the Spread” includes a beautiful sunken garden featuring herbaceous planting and a sculpture by Tom Stogdon is bordered by quintessential woodland trees and lush shade-loving planting.

This is contrasted with a symbolic avenue of bare and lifeless trees, an island holding a single seedling in a black pool and garden walls covered with an intricate pattern that contains a hidden message.

Garden designer Jo Thompson, at Chelsea for the fourth time, said:

“I’ve designed this garden for Fera to creatively show what impact plant pests and diseases, and invasive non-native species, can have on our environment now and for future generations.

“I'm keen that we safeguard our heritage through simple actions such as the careful buying of plants, trees and shrubs from trusted growers and making sure any unwanted plants are composted carefully – never dumped in the wild.”

Tree diseases such as Chalara (ash dieback), Oak Processionary Moth and Phytophthora ramorum, can kill or weaken trees, while invasive plant species, such as Floating Pennywort and Water Primrose, can grow out of control clogging garden ponds.

David Slawson, Head of Plant Health Public engagement at Fera said:

“Raising public awareness and providing advice about how everyone can help us prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests and diseases is a high priority for Government.

“We want this garden to make an impact by showing the worst case scenario if plant pests and diseases take hold. Ultimately we want to change the behavior of gardeners so they take action including being more patient in planting small plants and watching them grow; cleaning footwear and other equipment regularly; avoiding bringing plants or cuttings home from trips abroad and preventing plants from escaping out of gardens.”

“For example, a water feature can be a great addition to any garden but some common aquatic plants can take over a garden pond if they aren't managed properly and in the case of invasive non-native species can cause significant environmental and economic problems if they escape into the wider countryside. Gardeners should seek advice on the most suitable plants from retailers and take care to dispose of all garden plants responsibly.”

Some gardening hints and tips on how to “Stop the Spread”:

Sourcing plants:

· Check new plants are healthy and are not contaminated by fragments of invasive non-native species

· Buy UK-grown plants where possible

· Avoid bringing plants or cuttings home from trips abroad

· Preferably plant small and enjoy watching your garden grow

· Pick the right plant for the right place, avoid plants that might become invasive

Good gardening:

· Prevent your plants escaping from your garden

· Keep your gardening equipment and outdoor footwear clean

· Dispose of garden and pond plants and waste responsibly – never dump them in the wild

For more information on the Chelsea garden visit www.defra.gov.uk/fera/chelsea.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

2. The GB Invasive Non-native Species Framework Strategy sets out the strategic approach that government, industry and non-government organisations are following to help protect Great Britain from the impact of invasive non-native species. Through campaigns, including Be Plant Wise (http://www.nonnativespecies/beplantwise/), the Strategy aims to raise awareness of invasive non-native species and what the public can do to help stop their spread.

Media Contacts:

Tamara Sperling, External Communications Officer, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs +44 (0) 20 7238 2091 or tamara.sperling@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Alison Wilson, Media Officer, The Food and Environment Research Agency +44 (0) 1904 462380 or alison.wilson@fera.gsi.gov.uk

PRESS RELEASE: Groundbreaking garden at Chelsea to help “Stop the Spread” - trade release

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:31:29 GMT

Wednesday, 24th April 2013

Groundbreaking garden at Chelsea to help “Stop the Spread”

A groundbreaking show garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show called “Stop the Spread” will highlight how we can all work together to help prevent the introduction and spread of damaging plant pests, diseases and invasive non-native species.

Commissioned by the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) and created by award winning garden and landscape designer Jo Thompson, “Stop the Spread” will explore this issue in a way never seen before at the Show.

The garden will feature two distinct characters, contrasting beauty with the potential damaging effects plant pests and diseases could have on our gardens and natural environment.

David Slawson, Head of Plant Health Public Engagement at Fera said:

“Raising public awareness and providing advice about how everyone can help us prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests and diseases is a high priority for Government.

“We want this garden to make an impact by showing the worst case scenario if plant pests and diseases take hold. Ultimately we want to change the behavior of gardening professionals so they take action and for example source plants locally; clean footwear and other equipment regularly; and dispose of plants and garden waste safely.

“Chelsea offers us an innovative way to reach a large target audience who can actually make a difference to stopping the spread of plant pests and diseases, protecting the British countryside for future generations to enjoy.”

Last year’s discovery of Chalara (ash dieback) in the UK reinforced the need to step up efforts to reduce the likelihood of introducing and spreading pests, diseases and invasive species which could severely impact on our natural environment.

In response to the ash dieback outbreak the Chalara Management Plan was published which emphasised the importance of communicating to the public and professionals about how they can help protect our environment from the threat of tree and plant pests and diseases. The “Stop the Spread” garden is just one of the activities the Government is undertaking to communicate this message to the community.

David continues, “Pests, diseases and invasive species such as ash dieback, Oak Processionary Moth and Phytophthora ramorum can kill or weaken trees, while others such as Floating Pennywort and Water Primrose can grow out of control clogging garden ponds.”

“When they escape from gardens into the wider environment, pests, diseases and invasive non-native species can cause extensive environmental and economic damage. For example, in Britain alone, the damage caused by invasive non-native species is estimated to cost at least £1.7 billion every year.

“We are working closely with our key stakeholders and industry to ensure plant health is a major priority now and into the future.”

The report of the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Task Force commissioned by Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Ian Boyd and chaired by Professor Chris Gilligan will be published this spring. This independent report will make recommendations on how we can best protect our forests and woodlands against a variety of tree pests and diseases.

For more information on the Chelsea garden visit www.defra.gov.uk/fera/chelsea..

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

2. The GB Invasive Non-native Species Framework Strategy sets out the strategic approach that government, industry and non-government organisations are following to help protect Great Britain from the impact of invasive non-native species. Through campaigns, including Be Plant Wise (http://www.nonnativespecies/beplantwise/), the Strategy aims to raise awareness of invasive non-native species and what the public can do to help stop their spread.

Media Contacts:

Tamara Sperling, External Communications Officer, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs +44 (0) 20 7238 2091 or tamara.sperling@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Alison Wilson, Media Officer, The Food and Environment Research Agency +44 (0) 1904 462380 or alison.wilson@fera.gsi.gov.uk

Green-fingered volunteers

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:44:32 GMT

Fera staff in York have been volunteering as part of a local gardening project, Greenfields, which has turned an unused former playing field into a pleasant green space. A local primary school and the local community are now able to grow a variety of fruit and vegetables, using the site as both an outdoor classroom and as a space to play and socialise.

Fera’s team were joined by 150 volunteers from York businesses and schools at the Greenfields site as part of the York Cares initiative.

Fera’s Jane Sharkey explains what happened next:

‘We arrived kitted out in wellies, waterproofs and armed with various garden implements to be greeted with cups of tea and coffee, plus home baking provided by the lovely ladies from York Cares.

We were tasked with digging over areas of ground which would form raised beds for growing veg in. I would recommend anyone to take up the opportunity of volunteering, no matter how big or small the offer it is very gratefully received, and I think there is a real sense of achievement attached to it.’

PRESS RELEASE: HorizonScan early warning system helps to keep brands safe

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:40:01 GMT

Thursday, 18th April 2013

A comprehensive new online tool developed by top UK scientists and researchers gives food and drink ingredients suppliers, manufacturers and retailers easy access to the world’s most up to date food safety information at the click of a mouse.

Called HorizonScan, it provides a rapid overview of potential and emerging food safety issues to help keep the industry abreast of threats to consumer wellbeing and loyalty – and protect its valuable brands from the potential damage caused by food supply chain contamination issues. HorizonScan is the brainchild of Fera (Food & Environment Research Agency), Leatherhead Food Research and industry advisors who developed the tool to reflect today’s increasingly global and complex supply chains for foodstuffs and commodities.

Unique to the market, HorizonScan sources recall, alert and food safety information at a global level on a daily basis and categorises it in detail including commodity, exporting country, issue and risk. With reports from major food importing countries as well as smaller states, the tool puts power into the hands of manufacturers, processors and retailers like never before.

Professor Tony Hines, MBE, Head of Crisis Management at Leatherhead Food Research, who has managed HorizonScan with Fera, says:

“In 20 years of crisis and incident management I have always wanted an alerting system that does the work for me. For supply chain managers with multiple ingredient responsibilities and complex international supply chains, or companies looking for new supply options, HorizonScan enables you to conduct top line investigations and be alerted to the issues very quickly.”

Registered users access HorizonScan online, where they can find information on a wide range of issues including microbial contaminants, residues of veterinary drugs and pesticides, mycotoxins, allergens and heavy metals. With total flexibility to suit the needs of individual processors and retailers, users can back-check emerging threats over the past 14 or 31 days and assess information on specific countries or suppliers.

Dr Miles Thomas, Head of Knowledge Management at Fera adds: “In managing food safety risks, the old adage of ‘knowledge is power’ is most certainly true. The food and drink market – like all major industry sectors today – spans all continents but that shouldn’t expose manufacturers and retailers to any greater risk than if they were sourcing locally. That’s where HorizonScan comes in, providing the most up to date, authoritative insights possible from across the globe – all of which can be accessed 24/7 and incorporates alert functions after you have set your specific alerting preferences.”

To find out more about HorizonScan email horizonscan@fera.defra.gov.uk or call Deborah Jones on 01904 462612, Tony Hines on 01372 822245 or go to our web site at http://services.leatherheadfood.com/foodline/index.aspx

If you are keen to find out more about how HorizonScan can contribute to the safeguarding of your brand identity, and how it can ensure customer well-being and safety, you should attend our launch meeting at Fera in Sand Hutton, York, on Tuesday 30 April. The event will take place between 10.30 and 14.30. There will be complimentary refreshments and a buffet lunch available at this event. To make our launch meeting as interactive as possible, we encourage you to bring your laptop or iPad along. Using our Wi-Fi you will be able to explore HorizonScan for yourself during a ‘free search and interaction’ period. Due to expected high interest places will be limited, so to secure your place today please email membership@leatherheadfood.com. Please also inform us of any specific dietary requirements you may have.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) is an Executive Agency of the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Its remit is to provide robust evidence, rigorous analysis and expert professional advice to government, international organisations and the private sector, in order to support and develop a sustainable and secure food chain, a healthy natural environment, and to protect the global community from biological and chemical risks.

Further information from:

Alan Markham, The Partners Group

Tel: 01904 610077

Email: alan@partners-group.co.uk

Media Officer: Alison Wilson

Tel: 01904 462380

Email: alison.wilson@fera.gsi.gov.uk

The Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ

Fera analysis helps convict buzzard poisoner

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 16:43:09 GMT

The perpetrator was fined a total £1,950 after the birds fed on pheasant carcasses laced with the pesticide. A jar of Carbofuran poison had been found in a vehicle owned by the perpetrator.

Mark Thomas, from the RSPB, said: ‘The possession and use of Carbofuran is illegal - yet birds of prey are still being killed by this poison. A few grains will kill - a jar is enough to kill all the birds of prey in a county.’

Fera’s Wildlife Incident Unit (WIU) is part of the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS) which investigates deaths of animals and wildlife in the UK, if there is evidence to suggest that they may have been poisoned or put at risk by pesticides.

Enquiries into incidents involve a multi-agency investigation by Natural England and the Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency. The WIU carry out pesticide analysis on samples, from England and Wales, obtained during WIIS investigations and interpret these results.

For more information:

http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/wildlife/wiu.cfm

Bute in horsemeat issue continues…

info@fera.gsi.gov.uk — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:04:47 GMT

In light of the recent news regarding the issue of the banned substance phenylbutazone (bute) now being detected in corned beef, consumer confidence surrounding processed foods is back in the headlines.

Fera has extended their current bute testing offer to food products and processed meats to both commercial and government sectors.

For more information please see our webpage on detection of horse meat and phenylbutazone in the food chain.

Which fish on your dish? DNA protecting consumers

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:49:55 GMT

The ability to accurately identify fish species is important to safeguard marine fish stocks for the future. This is especially important in food items where distinguishing features have been removed, and the item may also have been cooked. It underpins labelling legislation in the UK, designed to protect consumers.

Fera has been working with the Food Standards Agency to develop methods for the unequivocal identification of Atlantic cod, Atlantic salmon and European Plaice in complex food samples using DNA-based technology.

This method is now available for use by public analysts and other testing laboratories, and adds to a growing portfolio of DNA based methodology for species identification in cooked and complex food products.

Let training commence

info@fera.gsi.gov.uk — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:02:45 GMT

The Fera International Food Safety Training Laboratory (IFSTL) opened its doors to its first clients at the beginning of February. The first trainees to benefit from the new facility were a group of analysts from the UK and US who attended a hands-on intensive five day course in Pesticide Residue Analysis led by Fera's team of experts in this critical area of food safety.

Topics covered ranged from sample preparation and extraction to LC-MS/MS and GC-MS practical and data processing. Quality control and EU regulations were also addressed. Feedback from participants emphasised the value and balance of the classroom and lab-based sessions.

Attendee David Sanderson, from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), commented:

'As someone who has worked in pesticide residues analysis for several years I found the course interesting and the lectures were a helpful refresher. The course gave me an opportunity to witness first-hand techniques I am not ‘aux-fait’ with, and on matrices I don’t normally analyse.'

The second Fera IFSTL course - a 10-day training programme on Veterinary Drug Residues in Foods - attracted delegates from Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Tanzania and the UK.

For further information on the Fera IFSTL, and the current timetable of courses visit www.defra.gov.uk/fera/ifstl

Enquiries can be directed to the IFSTL Manager, Imogen Foster, at ifstl@fera.gsi.gov.uk

Rigorous review sharpens science strategy

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:38:57 GMT

The first year of Fera’s External Science Panel (FESP) has proved to be very successful and useful for the laboratory. FESP was created in January 2012 in response to findings from Fera’s Science Capability Review in 2011, and is made up of a group of external, senior scientists who are able to provide expert input and advice on Fera’s main science themes of wildlife management, food and environmental safety and plant protection respectively.

The panel reviews Fera’s practices and advises on them, providing an independent challenge and sounding board for the science activities of the agency. It also promotes the external visibility and impact of Fera to partners and customers in government and industry.

This provides rigorous peer review and dissemination, as well as allowing for a focussed scrutiny of each of the major science programmes at Fera and constructive engagement with the various science communities within the agency. As such, a major role for FESP in its first year has been to review and challenge Fera’s science strategy.

The panel is chaired by Sir John Lawton (FRS) with senior representation from Defra, other government departments and devolved assemblies, the Food and Agrochemical industries, levy boards and trade and farming associations and academia. The panel currently meets twice a year, with a direct line of reporting to the Fera executive and Defra Chief Scientist’s office.

HorizonScan food alerts for emerging issues

marketing — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:35:21 GMT

Commodity sourcing is becoming ever more global, against a background of increasing concerns over food safety and consumer awareness of risk. The food industry needs to keep abreast of potential threats to their customer wellbeing, loyalty and brand identity. To do this they need to be able to get a rapid overview of potential and emerging food safety issues without trawling many separate sources of information.

In response, Fera has developed a solution in ‘HorizonScan’, the only single tool currently available for this. Fera engaged in a strategic alliance with Leatherhead Food Research, whose family of Food Science and News databases are used by the food industry around the world. Combining the depth and breadth of these individual databases in one package has generated a unique alerting service for emerging issues.

Professor Tony Hines, MBE, Head of Crisis Management at Leatherhead, explains, ‘In twenty years of crisis and incident management I have always wanted an alerting system that does the work for me and this new bundle takes me from alerts, to news, history and published source data in fast easy moves. For supply chain managers with multiple ingredient responsibilities and complex international supply chains, or companies looking for new supply options, this system enables you to conduct top line investigations and be alerted to issues very quickly’.

For more info, visit:

http://services.leatherheadfood.com/foodline/horizonscan.aspx

PRESS RELEASE: National Conference to Examine Food Chain Security

info@fera.gsi.gov.uk — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:37:53 GMT

Wednesday 24 April near York

Hosted by York, North Yorkshire & East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership at The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera)

Protecting the UK food chain will come under the spotlight at a major national conference for food manufacturers, processors and retailers – being held in the aftermath of the horsemeat crisis.

'Assuring The Integrity of the Food Chain' will examine the issues surrounding the horsemeat incident and explore how robust verification measures can be included in supply chain management to assure product integrity.

The high level debate – hosted by York, North Yorkshire & East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership – is seen as key to re-establishing consumer confidence and trust in the food industry and particularly the meat sector.

Leading international and UK industry speakers will address the one-day event which will also feature representatives from Defra and the Food Standards Agency.

The conference is being held in the heart of Yorkshire – which has the largest concentration of food and drink businesses in the UK, contributing £2.7 billion to the regional economy – at The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) at Sand Hutton, York, on Wednesday 24 April.

Professor Rob Edwards, Chief Scientist at Fera, said: "The food sector faces a significant challenge in restoring consumer confidence following the revelations surrounding horsemeat. Science has a significant role to play in helping companies rebuild trust with their customers. The aim of this conference is to bring together industry specialists and scientists to look at what can be done now and what may need to be developed for the future."

The conference will address key problems and issues on meat speciation and verification. European neighbours including the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Germany and Nofima, the Norwegian food research institute, will share their experiences with the expected 200 delegates.

LEP board member David Kerfoot said: "The UK food and drink industry is the largest manufacturing sector in the country so it’s vital that we learn all we can from the horsemeat episode. Yorkshire and Humber is an ideal venue for this conference as it has extensive, mature supply chains, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and one of the largest concentrations of distributors in the UK.

"Drawing together industry experts and scientists from the UK and wider Europe will facilitate a debate about how best we address food integrity and assure the food supply chain."

The food and drink manufacturing industry is the single largest manufacturing sector in the UK, with a turnover of £72.8bn, accounting for 15% of the total manufacturing sector. 440,000 people are employed in food manufacturing in the UK.

To book your place at the conference please visit http://assuringtheintegrityofthefoodchain.eventbrite.co.uk/#. The cost of the conference is £149+VAT per person.

Ends

All media enquiries to Clare Walker at Cicada Communications, 01423 567111 clare@cicada-comms.com, or Alison Wilson at Fera telephone 01904 462380.

Note to editors:

The York North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership is a business led partnership between the public and private sectors, focussed on enabling business growth. It extends across the Local Authority areas of: York, North Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, Craven, Harrogate, Selby, Ryedale, Scarborough, Hambleton and Richmondshire.

www.businessinspiredgrowth.com

The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) is an Executive Agency of the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Its remit is to provide robust evidence, rigorous analysis and expert professional advice to government, international organisations and the private sector, in order to support and develop a sustainable and secure food chain, a healthy natural environment, and to protect the global community from biological and chemical risks.

Keeping us BSE free

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:55:39 GMT

Fera is developing feed testing technologies to support feed enforcement in the UK and EU to protect consumers and livestock from BSE.

Since the BSE crisis in 1987, strict legislation has controlled the types of feed used for cattle and other livestock in Europe. The use of meat and bone meal (MBM) in animal feed was banned to prevent cannibalism in the food chain. There is now scope to relax the ban without endangering human or animal health, providing there is scientific capability to test the species of animal in MBM to prevent cannibalism in future.

Fera is addressing this in collaboration with archaeologists at the University of York, with funding from the EU-funded SAFEED-PAP (SAfe FEEd Processed Animal Proteins) project.

A new method has been developed to determine the species provenance of tiny fragments of bone within an animal feed sample. The method uses mass spectrometry to screen for species biomarkers in bone. Together with the archaeologists, Fera has built a database to help determine the species origin of bone from animals as diverse as domestic pig, cow and turkey, to ancient species including mastodon and even T. Rex. The method can now be used to identify MBM from a range of species including pig, cow, poultry, goat, sheep and fish. Importantly, MBM treated at all temperatures up to and including 146°C can be correctly identified. The method can also accommodate MBM mixtures containing bone from more than one species.

This technology has the potential to form a confirmatory test to support or replace existing methods. Fera welcomes further interest in this new technology.

Protecting woodlands and forests

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 12:56:49 GMT

In association with the National Trust, Woodland Trust and Forestry Commission, Fera have produced a new biosecurity poster aimed those who own or work in woodlands and forests.

The purpose of the poster is to raise awareness about pest and disease threats to trees. In addition, it provides owners and contractors with advice on the best practice to minimise the risk of introducing pests and diseases into woodlands, and to reduce the risk of spreading them further.

To view the poster click on the link below:

http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/plantHealth/documents/woodlandsPoster.pdf

Raising the pulses of UK farmers

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:17:54 GMT

Fera is helping UK farmers to take advantage of the demand for vegetable protein in the UK feed industry which, coupled to supply constraints, is creating a market opportunity for sustainable farming in the UK. But farmers need a high yielding, protein rich product to exploit this growing demand. Legume seeds (pulses) have that high protein content and so are the product of choice, and they also contribute to environmental sustainability. But for legumes and other crops there is a negative correlation between seed yield and protein content. This means breeding for yield does not ensure increased protein production.

A project consortium is working with legumes to understand the genetic determinants of the higher protein content required by feed compounders without detriment to seed yield. This includes working to deliver novel plant genotypes to breeders which benefit feed industries, sustainable agriculture and the environment.

Fera's work within the project is co-funded by Technology Strategy Board in partnership with Defra and BBSRC. Other partners include Marks & Spencer, Aberystwyth University, Thompsons of York, John Innes Centre, iDNA Genetics, and Processors and Growers Research Organisation. The project is led by Wherry and Sons Ltd.

Do you have the Campylobacter factor? Now you can tell

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:13:38 GMT

Poultry farmers globally will benefit from a new solution offering a rapid, robust means to monitor Campylobacter infection on their farms. Fera is collaborating with Foresite Diagnostics, Optisense Ltd. and the turkey industry to reduce the incidence of Campylobacter in the food chain by developing rapid test kits for detecting the bacteria without the time and expense of laboratory analysis.

Campylobacter is the most common cause of bacterial food poisoning in the UK, causing around 600,000 cases of gastroenteritis and 60 deaths per year. Reducing the incidence of Campylobacter in food is one of the priorities of the Government's food policy. A 10% reduction will save the UK economy an estimated £60M.

The new test will inform farmers and help them to apply the appropriate biosecurity measures to control infection and minimise transmission of the bacteria through the food chain. The technologies can also be adapted for the detection of other microorganisms, offering great potential for use in other areas where rapid diagnosis is essential.

Detection of horse meat in the food chain

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:23:25 GMT

As has been well documented in the media there is concern surrounding the findings of horse meat in certain food products. In essence there are two issues:

The first is one of mislabelling of some products where the meat content has been stated as beef but tests have identified high proportions of horse meat.
How can Fera help?
Fera has a DNA based test that will identify if horse is present in a sample.

The second is possible contamination of horse meat with a veterinary medicine called phenylbutazone also known as ‘bute’.
How can Fera help?
Fera offers UKAS accredited methods for detecting a wide range of veterinary medicines residues including phenylbutazone.

As the UK’s National Reference Laboratory for several areas of food safety including veterinary medicines residues Fera has the knowledge, experience and equipment to help you ensure your customers can have confidence in your products.

Our scientists will be happy to discuss your requirements.

Please email us at foodanalysis@fera.gsi.gov.uk or ring 0300 1000 330.

Fera’s oil slick? Making better use of waste

marketing — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:41:00 GMT

Finding a way of turning waste into money is a dream solution that scientists at Fera are taking steps to realise. A Defra funded project is looking at ways to use the residual materials from anaerobic digesters to produce useful oils, which could potentially be used in all manner of products, from cosmetics and detergents to fuels and animal feed.

Anaerobic digesters create waste as they digest manure and other organic materials to produce biogas. At Fera, work is being carried out to evaluate the potential for insects to consume this residual material to produce oil and other added-value materials. The system uses maggots (larvae) of the house fly, which are reared on the digestate in large numbers and are harvested after about a week of development. Preliminary analysis has shown that the resulting insects are approximately 25% fat (dry weight), which comprises a wide range of useful saturated and unsaturated oils. The insect material is also around 50% protein (dry weight), a material that analysis has shown could be usefully incorporated into animal feed.

Initial production problems have been solved by incorporating wheat by-products, such as bran and straw, into the digestate to create a substrate that allows development of maggots in large numbers. This means Fera scientists can now grow maggots in Kg quantities and work is ongoing to evaluate whether digestate can be used to generate larvae in commercially useful quantities.

For more information contact:

howard.bell@fera.gsi.gov.uk

Making flame retardants clearer

info@fera.gsi.gov.uk — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:33:27 GMT

Flame retardants are used in everyday objects to prevent fires, but there are concerns about their health effects and persistence in the environment. There is currently confusion within the scientific community resulting from different abbreviations being used for the same compound.

To address this problem, Fera’s Martin Rose has recently collaborated with partners from the international organising committee of a conference series on brominated flame retardants (BFRs). This has produced a list of proposed standard abbreviations for flame retardants.

Details are available at the following open access link:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412012001778#

Details of the next conference on BFRs:

http://www.bfr2013.com/

Fera expertise informs wildlife crime report

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:34:26 GMT

The Environmental Audit Committee has recently published a report on wildlife crime in which MPs have highlighted deliberate poisoning of birds of prey. Much of the evidence available to MPs on this issue comes from the work of the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme, and WIIS-Scotland, two of the partner schemes in the WILDCOMS network.

The Wildlife Incident Unit (WIU) at Fera works closely with the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS), playing a key role in investigating the effects of pesticides on animals and beneficial insects.

WILDCOMS is a new partnership project which has been set up to link together nine UK schemes that monitor vertebrate species for diseases and contaminants.

Many of the partner schemes in the WILDCOMS network are funded by Defra directly or by its agencies and key delivery bodies, such as the Environment Agency, Fera and AHVLA. WILDCOMS facilitates sharing protocols and data between network partners and can act as a ‘one-stop shop’ for outside stakeholders to access key information and expertise. This greater collaborative working is providing an earlier and more holistic picture of what is happening in the UK environment in relation to disease and chemical contaminants.

To read the report:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/news/-announcement-of-report-publication/

PRESS RELEASE - Fera and Waters Open International Food Safety Training Laboratory

marketing — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:44:55 GMT

Tuesday, 22nd January 2013

A major new international food safety training facility, aimed at improving compliance with EU food import standards, is being launched today by The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) and analytical equipment manufacturer Waters®.

A significant proportion of food safety incidents reported in the EU are due to imports, therefore ensuring the legal compliance and safety of imported food is vital for protecting consumers. The EU and other international organisations have recognised the value of improving food safety testing globally, so that risks can be identified and tackled at source. In the EU alone the value of exports and imports of foodstuffs today exceeds £690 billion (over 860 billion Euros).

The Fera International Food Safety Training Laboratory (Fera IFSTL), based near York, will primarily train scientists concerned with exporting foods to Europe. Experts from Fera will lead training programs that teach best practice methods to analysts from overseas, using state-of-the art technology and equipment for determining chemical contaminants and residues in food. This will enable food producing countries around the world to implement their own solutions and gain access to the opportunities offered by trade with Europe.

Speaking as he formally opened the new Training Laboratory Lord de Mauley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lords), said: “It’s very encouraging to see the public and private sectors working together to facilitate trade from outside the EU. This will improve food safety testing for food imported into the EU, ensuring food is safe before it reaches our tables.”

The new venture combines the respective regulatory and scientific expertise of both organisations. The Fera IFSTL draws on Fera’s extensive expertise as world leaders in the application of analytical chemistry to food safety testing and as the UK National Reference Laboratory for chemical contaminants in food, pesticide residues and veterinary drug residues.

Fera Chief Executive, Adrian Belton, commented, “We welcome this opportunity to be able to pass on our expertise in food analytical testing. This is underpinned by over 30 years scientific experience in the area, together with detailed knowledge of current and emerging regulations, and internationally recognised quality standards. All of our food analysis work is carried out in modern laboratories by highly trained scientists, using state-of-the-art analytical equipment.”

The Fera IFSTL is being launched as part of an international network of food safety training laboratories aimed at raising standards of food safety testing globally. The first IFSTL was opened in the United States in September 2011 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, University of Maryland and Waters®. The training facilities in the network will coordinate and share expertise. As new facilities are added to the network, they will do the same, increasing knowledge and the use of global best practices.

Said Waters Corp. Executive Vice President Art Caputo: “We are very pleased to partner with Fera in establishing this lab near York. We believe that this collaboration will lead to better science and technology, and this in turn will help us raise the bar on food safety. We know the scale of this challenge requires us to address it globally, which is why we are excited to expand the IFSTL network.”

As part of the collaboration with Fera, Waters helped establish the laboratory’s construction, provided analytical systems and assisted Fera in designing training programs. The facility is equipped with Waters’ state-of-the-art ACQUITY UPLC^®-MS/MS systems, sample preparation components, and mycotoxin analysis tools.

Courses start in early 2013. For further information, please visit www.defra.gov.uk/fera/ifstl

Notes for Editors:

1. The Fera IFSTL dedicated training facility has the capacity to teach 200 professionals per year. In the first year of operation courses will cover pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues and mycotoxins. In subsequent years the range of courses will be expanded, including running bespoke courses for specific customers if required, and the number and length of courses offered per year will be increased. The facility is now accepting registrations for the following courses:

• Pesticide Residues in Food, 4-8 February 2013

• Veterinary drug residues in food, 25 February-8 March 2013

• Mycotoxins in food, 11-15 March 2013

For further information, please visit www.defra.gov.uk/fera/ifstl

2. The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) is an Executive Agency of the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Its remit is to provide robust evidence, rigorous analysis and expert professional advice to government, international organisations and the private sector, in order to support and develop a sustainable and secure food chain, a healthy natural environment, and to protect the global community from biological and chemical risks.

3. Waters Corporation (www.waters.com)

For more than 50 years, Waters Corporation has created business advantages for laboratory-dependent organizations by delivering practical and sustainable innovation to enable significant advancements in such areas as healthcare delivery, environmental management, food safety, and water quality worldwide.

Pioneering a connected portfolio of separations science, laboratory information management, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis, Waters technology breakthroughs and laboratory solutions provide an enduring platform for customer success.

With revenue of $1.64 billion in 2010 and 5,400 employees, Waters is driving scientific discovery and operational excellence for customers worldwide.

Waters, ACQUITY and UPLC are trademarks of Waters Corporation.

Further information from:

Media Officer: Alison Wilson

Tel: 01904 462380

Email: alison.wilson@fera.gsi.gov.uk

The Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ

Chris Orlando

Waters Corporation

Public Relations Manager

508-482-2623

Chris_Orlando@waters.com

Pesticides at the Pitt Rivers Museum? – Fera explores Captain Cook’s artefacts

marketing@csl.gov.uk — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:37:34 GMT

A collaboration between Fera and the Pitt Rivers Museum, which houses the University of Oxford’s anthropology and world archaeology collections, will develop analytical procedures for determining pesticide residues on objects collected on Captain Cook’s voyages. The work, being carried out by Fera analytical chemist Andrew Charlton, is believed to be the first of its kind in a UK museum and will safeguard the health of museum staff and visiting researchers.

The project is being funded by the Clothworkers’ Foundation. The Cook voyage collection has been at Oxford University since 1776, and it is known that a wide range of highly toxic pesticides were used indiscriminately on museum objects from that time, ranging from mercury and arsenic salts to methyl bromide and organochlorine pesticides. The museum wanted to work with Fera because it thought an organisation outside the museum sector would bring a different scientific perspective to the problem.

Pesticide residues are an issue for museum staff, who work with the collections regularly. They are also an issue because the material in the Cook-voyage collections is so culturally significant that it is often studied by researchers and indigenous groups, who need to be warned more accurately about any dangers from pesticide residues. This was first identified as a problem in the United States, where objects considered for repatriation to the First Nations people have sometimes been so contaminated as to pose a health risk.

To read a blog about the Clothworkers' Project, visit:

http://conserving-curiosities.blogspot.co.uk/2012_07_01_archive.html

First confirmed record of Mint beetle breeding in Britain

marketing — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 14:34:09 GMT

Seven live adult specimens and one moribund larva of a metallic blue Chrysolina species were received by the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) members’ advisory service. The beetles, had been discovered in a garden in East Kent, where they had been eating mint plants for several weeks.

The beetles were sent to Fera for identification by senior entomologist Chris Malumphy. He identified them as Chrysolina coerulans (Scriba), which was confirmed by male genitalia examination. Further specimens were requested and 15 adult specimens, and a photograph depicting three larvae, were received from the same garden.

This is the first confirmed record of the beetle breeding in Britain - previously only four adult specimens of C. coerulans had been reported. Specimens of C. coerulans are now held in the Natural History Museum, Fera, and RHS insect reference collections. It is likely that this beetle will establish and spread in southern England, and growers may encounter it in the future, as it may become a localised garden pest.

There is already a native green mint beetle (Chrysolina herbacea) present in the UK and it is not anticipated that this new finding of the blue Mint beetle will have any serious consequences for commercial herb growers. The Fera experts have published a joint paper with the RHS, and also completed a Rapid Risk Assessment which is available on the Fera website for stakeholder consultation:

http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/plantHealth/pestsDiseases/documents/chrysolinaCoerulans.pdf

Natural formation of a veterinary drug metabolite

info@fera.gsi.gov.uk — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:16:52 GMT

Following a study funded by the Food Standards Agency for Scotland (FSA-S), Fera experts have produced information to advise bee farmers on the natural occurrence of the chemical semicarbazide (SEM), found in some honey samples.

Some food products, including honey, are routinely tested for the presence of SEM, which can indicate the use of nitrofurazone, an antimicrobial veterinary drug banned in the UK. Metabolism and degradation of nitrofurazone produce SEM.

However, the use of SEM as an indicator of nitrofurazone might be unreliable, as it has been detected in honey samples which have definitely not been treated with nitrofurazone. These include several samples of heather honey collected and tested in Scotland and Northern England, and two samples of honey from a wild forest in New Zealand. It was believed the SEM could have originated from a natural source.

Fera scientists have reviewed the evidence for natural formation and the levels of natural SEM precursors in honey and other bee products. In their report used by FSA-S to inform bee farmers, the amino acid arginine, found in the pollen of plants, has been suggested as the most likely natural precursor of SEM. However other sources might exist, including environmental contaminants and urine from sheep.