The laboratory carries out surveillance work for the hazards for which it has reference mandates. This work is more or less advanced depending on the hazard, and ranges from contributing to a surveillance plan run by the DGAL to coordinating a surveillance network of over 100 laboratories and participating in large-scale national Total Diet Studies (TDSs) on chemical hazards.

From an analytical standpoint, surveillance is using more and more data from sequencing for biological agents and from non-targeted analyses for chemical contaminants. The laboratory capitalises on these surveillance data to consolidate the weight of evidence on the source of a hazard, improve source attribution, and strengthen the detection of unusual hazards.

Anticipating emerging hazards

The laboratory’s surveillance activities are structured around and/or contribute to creating appropriate networks, in particular those involved in reference work, for the suitable collection of data relating to various hazards. It helps anticipate emerging hazards and produce information on changing trends for risk assessors and managers.

Driven by the dynamics of the surveillance platforms for animal and plant health and the food chain (ESA, ESV, SCA), an integrated surveillance approach, taking into account all sources from farm to fork (One Health concept), is implemented as part of the laboratory's development projects.

With the support of coordinating structures for reference work (ANSES's Strategy and Programmes Department), the laboratory proposes changes in the planning of the surveillance and control plans coordinated by the DGAL, in order to consider the need to monitor new matrices or hazards.

Moreover, surveillance data are essential for better characterising the human exposome in relation to various food hazards.