Whole Genome Sequencing, a New Tool in Food Safety
There is a microscopic war raging in the food safety industry. Food systems and food products are evolving almost as fast as their adversaries, organisms such as E. coli, which can double their population in as little as twenty minutes. In order to compete in this arms race, improvements have to be made to rapidly and reliably identify, detect, and predict food safety hazards. One important tool is Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS).
Whole Genome Sequencing offers more powerful subtype characterization than previous methods such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Whole genome sequencing even allows strains of Salmonella that PFGE was unable to detect and identify. Whole genome sequencing reveals the complete DNA, which enables us to better understand variations both within and between species. Thanks to comprehensive laboratory networks and rapidly expanding WGS databases, WGS can detect foodborne disease outbreaks and trace the source of pathogens with unprecedented accuracy.
Since 2008, when WGS was first being used by the FDA, its influence and tools have done nothing but grow. The FDA has been spearheading an international effort to build a worldwide network of laboratories that can sequence the genomes of foodborne pathogens and then upload the genomic sequence of pathogens and the location from which the pathogen was gathered into a publicly accessible database. This helps speed up investigations into the root cause of illnesses.
The FDA has been coordinating efforts by public health officials to sequence pathogens collected from foodborne outbreaks, contaminated food products, and environmental sources. The genome sequences are tracked and archived in the open-access genomic reference database named GenomeTrakr. GenomeTrakr is used for finding the contamination sources of current and future outbreaks, understanding the environmental conditions associated with the contamination of agricultural products, and helping in the development of new rapid methods and culture independent tests.
Although health officials sequence foodborne pathogens after the outbreak of foodborne illnesses, that isn’t the only time that whole genome sequencing is done. It is also not the only time that the genomic information that sequencing provides is used for more than just determining the scope of outbreaks. WGS can be used as an industry tool for monitoring both ingredient supplies and the effectiveness of preventative sanitary controls. It can also be used to determine the persistence of specific pathogens in the environment and as a possible indicator of antimicrobial resistance.
As the food industry continues to increase early detection of pathogens, QWerks helps companies increase quality and food safety by providing an intuitive software to collect in-process data and share metrics to fuel process improvement. Find out how QWerks can help your business today.
