Modelling framework to quantify the risk of AMR exposure via food products - example of chicken and lettuce

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a complex issue where microorganisms survive antimicrobial treatments, making such infections more difficult to treat. It is a global threat to public health. To increase the evidence base for AMR in the food chain, the FSA has funded several projects to collect data to monitor the trends, prevalence, emergence, spread and decline of AMR bacteria in a range of retail foods in the UK. However, this data and information from the wider literature was yet to be used to create tools to aid in the production of quantitative risk assessment to determine the risk to consumers of AMR in the food chain. To assist with this, there was a need to develop a set of modular templates of risk of AMR within foods. This sought to allow the efficient creation of reproducible risk assessments of AMR to maintain the FSA at the forefront of food safety.