Some of the UKs top public health officials have hailed DNA sequencing techniques, such as next generation sequencing, as one the most powerful laboratory tools to help tackle foodborne disease, such as E.coli and salmonella, and have underlined their commitment to use this technology in future.

Earlier this year, experts gathered at a workshop organised by the Food Standards Agency, the Health Protection Agency, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food, to discuss how advances in molecular biology could be used to pinpoint the source in major outbreaks of foodborne disease. The report of this workshop can be found below.

Andrew Wadge, Chief Scientist at the Food Standards Agency, said: The devastating effects of incidents such as the E.coli O104 outbreak in Germany, remind us of the need to embrace cutting-edge technology to help us transform the way we investigate incidents in the future.

We are fully committed to exploiting the potential of molecular biology tools, such as next generation sequencing, in our fight against foodborne disease. By using these techniques, outbreaks could be investigated more quickly and effectively than ever before. This could shape the way we respond to incidents in the future and, ultimately, save lives.

An estimated one million people a year in the UK suffer from foodborne illness, with 20,000 receiving hospital treatment and causing about 500 deaths. This costs the UK economy approximately 1.5 billion annually.

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Harnessing technology to pinpoint foodborne disease