The Food Safety Laboratory provides scientific expertise to help in public decision-making which is both general, for the safety of foodstuffs, and more specific, for certain processing industries.
The Laboratory's work is focussed on biological hazards (bacteria, viruses, parasites) and chemical hazards (toxins, metals, pesticides, organic pollutants, histamine) found or likely to be found in foods, especially during the distribution and consumption stages:
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it develops knowledge on the identification of hazards found in foods,
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it develops methods for detecting, characterising and measuring them,
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it analyses their causes and development factors,
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it helps monitor them, particularly to report the emergence or re-emergence of certain organisms and compounds,
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it helps standardise and draft regulations for specific methods and criteria governing these hazards,
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it contributes to the assessment of the related risks by contributing to quantitative risk analyses, and by providing data on the prevalence of a biological hazard or the occurrence of a chemical hazard,
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it examines how practices and processes influence the expression of food hazards and specifically focuses on the effectiveness of control measures undertaken throughout a food's lifetime (from the farm to the fork) and quality indicators related to hygiene.
The laboratory also performs analyses for health authorities and professionals in relation to fishery products (fish, shellfish, crustaceans) in Boulogne-sur-Mer and in relation to all types of foodstuffs in Maisons-Alfort in the framework of the Central Laboratory for Veterinary Services which carries out official analyses for the Directions départementales de la protection des populations (DDPP) in the Paris region (départements 75, 91, 92, 93 and 94).
It hosts the national "Identypath" technology platform for the identification and typing of pathogens using high- and medium-throughput PCR.
Main biological contaminants studied
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Salmonella
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Verotoxin-producingE. coli (VTEC)
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Coagulase-positive staphylococci
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Listeria monocytogenes
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Bacillus cereus
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Vibrio
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Clostridium botulinum and perfringens
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Enteric viruses (HAV, HEV, noroviruses, enteroviruses)
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Anisakidae
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Hygiene markers in fishery products and dairy products.
Main chemical contaminants studied
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Pesticides (organochlorines, organophosphates, pyrethroids, carbamates, etc.),
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Trace metals (arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, metal-based nanomaterials, etc.) and minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc.),
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Bacterial toxins (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus toxins),
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Marine biotoxins (lipophilic toxins, domoic acid, saxitoxins, pinnatoxins, ciguatoxins, etc.),
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Cyanotoxins (microcystins, etc.),
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Biogenic amines (histamine, cadaverine, putrescine, etc.).
3 scientific departments, 9 units, 2 missions and one technological platform divided between two sites, Maisons-Alfort (MA) and Boulogne-sur-Mer (BsM)
Department of microbiological food contaminants
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Listeria, Salmonella and E. Coli unit (MA)
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Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Clostridia and milk (MA)
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Central Laboratory for Veterinary Services unit (MA et BsM)
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Enteric viruses unit (MA)
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Platform for high-throughput pathogen identification and typing (MA)
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Antimicrobial resistance unit (MA)
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Modelling and quantitative analysis of risk unit (MA)
Department of fishery and aquaculture products
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Bacteriology and parasitology of fishery and aquaculture products unit (BsM)
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Physical chemistry of fishery and aquaculture products unit (BsM)
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Biochemistry of seafood products unit (BsM), under contract with ULCO
Department of chemical food contaminants
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Pesticides and marine biotoxins unit (MA)
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Trace metals and minerals unit (MA)
Department of chemical food contaminants
The evaluation of the relationship between health, the environment and food implies using tools and methods which enable the characterisation and quanitifications of the levels of exposure to certain chemicals. The Department of chemical food contaminants in Maisons-Alfort is comprised of two units, the "Trace metals and minerals" unit and the "Pesticides and marine biotoxins" unit, in charge of four national reference mandates.
The missions of the department are to develop new analytical strategiesand novel methodological approaches to the detection, quantification and characterisation of various chemical hazards. New tools must be developed to face the challenges of both analytical multi-detection and analytical response sensitivity. These tools are developed for the detection and precise characterisation of hazards, certain toxins such as emergent pinnatoxins and ciguatoxins, pesticide residues and derivativesusing targeted and non-targeted methods, nanoparticles and trace metals,especially when species have differing toxic profiles.
The department contributes to the Agency’s risk assessment studies by providing occurrence data for these chemical contaminants in food.
It is involved in analytic method standardisation work (AFNOR, CEN, ISO) and participates in discussions on the EU regulations currently being drafted.
Department of microbiological food contaminants
One of the laboratory's priorities is to have at its disposal the most effective diagnostic tools, through the constant development of methods and by opting for new analytical concepts. One of the major challenges for the laboratory is the development of its capacity to detect and identify a microbiological hazard without any preconceived notions using a multi-pathogen-based approach (Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, EHEC, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium botulinum, Vibrio, enteric viruses). With its knowledge of pathogens and the expertise of its high-throughput platform, the laboratory has many of the assets needed to be a leader in this approach.
In addition, the data flow from biomolecular analyses and genotyping of samples from the laboratories in its network enable the laboratory to characterise emergent bacterial strains, to identify bacterial antimicrobial resistance factors, to determine the toxinogenic nature of staphylococci or Bacillus cereus, and to study the virulence factors of various bacteria and viruses found in food. Cutting-edge technologies and synergies between the scientific expertise of bacteriologists and chemists enable the exploration of increasingly sensitive and specific methods of detecting staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEG and SEI), and diarrhoeic and emetic Bacillus cereus toxins.
The department organises access to the national Identypath platform, a high-throughput molecular biology facility providing quick, reliable identification and characterisation of infectious agents that is also as complete as possible (genotyping, evolution, resistance and virulence genes, discriminating genetic markers). This facility plays a central role in the organisation of research and diagnostics activities for microbiological hazards. In advance of this, It also provides support for the acquisition of the large amounts of data required for devising new diagnostic approaches. Later on, its goal will be to develop routine multi-pathogen analysis procedures on its equipment, creating new prospects for other ANSES laboratories.
Department of fishery and aquaculture products
Thanks to its location in the heart of the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, the Department of fishery and aquaculture products (PPA) has many targeted partnerships on issues concerning the fishing and aquaculture sector. It conducts research and reference work and provides expertise on the quality, health and safety of fishery and aquaculture products.
It devises essential scientific projects whose goal is to more effectively characterise and control the chemical and microbiological contaminants which can affect the processing and consumption of fishery and aquaculture products. In order to effectively carry out this work, the department participates in improving the performance of tools for the detection, identification and characterisation of pathogenic bacteria and parasites found in the sector (Vibrio, Listeria and Anisakidae, in particular). The department is implementing projects related to issues specific to aquaculture and will be developing an antimicrobial resistance activity in close cooperation with the antimicrobial resistance unit of the Department of microbiological food contaminants. The department also conducts studies on chemical contaminants and seafood product spoilage markers in complementary cooperation with the Department of chemical food contaminants of the Maisons-Alfort site. It fulfils reference missions in the context of national mandates for Vibrio spp and for histamine; it is associated with the NRL for foodborne parasites.
In its capacity as a reference laboratory, the Food Safety Laboratory provides the health authorities with scientific and technical expertise (sample analysis, surveillance plans, validation of analysis methods, inter-laboratory proficiency testing, training for accredited and recognised laboratories and monitoring of their analyses, study coordination, etc.) and participates in exchanges with international scientific partners.
European Union Reference Laboratory (EURL)
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Dairy products and milk hygiene
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Coagulase-positive staphylococcus and staphyloccus enterotoxins
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Listeria monocytogenes
National Reference Laboratory (NRL)
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Coagulase-positive staphylococcus/staphyloccocus enterotoxins
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Listeria monocytogenes
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Vibrio sp. in fishery products
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Dairy products and milk hygiene
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Marine biotoxins
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Pesticides in foodstuffs of animal origin and products with high fat content
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Pesticides, using single-residue methods
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Heavy metals in foodstuffs of animal origin
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Histamine
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Anisakidae (jointly with the Maisons-Alfort Laboratory for Animal Health)
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Antimicrobial resistance (jointly with the ANSES laboratories in Fougères, Ploufragan-Plouzané and Lyon)
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Salmonella sp. (jointly with the ANSES laboratory in Ploufragan-Plouzané)
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Avian botulism (jointly with the ANSES laboratory in Ploufragan-Plouzané)
In research, the laboratory strives to produce the essential knowledge for:
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identifying, quantifying and characterising foodborne hazards;
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monitoring these threats (prevalence, exposure);
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describing and modelling their behaviour for better control of quality and hygiene during the production and preparation of foodstuffs;
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understanding their modes of action (virulence, toxicity, bio-accessibility).
Certain projects are funded by European (EU-RTD Framework Programmes, EFSA) or French calls for tender (ANR, ARCIR, CPER, FUI, DIM, supervisory authorities, FranceAgriMer).
The laboratory supervises doctoral students from the Centres for Research and Higher Education (PRES) of the Universities of Paris-Est and Lille Nord de France.
It is a partner in the ARMADA joint technology unit and the "Microbiological food quality" joint technology network.
