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The goal of the project is to organize an international conference for strategic breakthroughs to control antibiotic resistance transmission through the food chain. <P> The objectives are to update scientific information, to set up a platform for multidisciplinary collaboration, and to direct future research, education and extension activities. <P> The outcomes include a supplemental issue in the Journal of Food Protection featuring the reviews and original research papers from the conference and a summary report to USDA by the steering committee based on the discussion at the conference, proposing future research directions and practical approaches to minimize the dissemination of AR through the food chain.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Antibiotic resistance (AR) is becoming a global food safety and public health challenge. The objectives of this international conference (2009) are to 1) to update scientific information, 2) to set up a platform for multidisciplinary collaboration, and 3) to direct future research for strategic breakthroughs to control AR transmission through the food chain. The roles of foodborne microbes in AR evolution, maintenance and circulation in complex microbial ecosystems as well as risk assessment and reduction approaches will be addressed. Research directions as well as education and outreach strategies for the industry, regulators, public health authority and the consumers to combat the AR problem worldwide will be outlined. The conference will be organized by a steering committee of experts from government, academia, and industry with experience in AR research, education, extension and outreach. Each session topic will be covered by invited presentations from internationally recognized experts in the field. Poster presentations will be selected from abstracts submitted by the attendees. Review papers and discoveries presented at the conference will be submitted for publication as a supplement in the Journal of Food Protection. The steering committee will write a summary report to USDA based on the discussion at the conference, proposing future research directions and practical approaches to minimize the dissemination of AR through the food chain. On-site and follow-up surveys will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of the conference in delivering the proposed objective.
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APPROACH: The conference will be organized by a steering committee of experts from government, academia, and industry with experience in AR research, education, extension and outreach. Each session topic will be covered by invited presentations from internationally recognized experts in the field. Poster presentations will be selected from abstracts submitted by the attendees. Review papers and discoveries presented at the conference will be submitted for publication as a supplement in the Journal of Food Protection. The steering committee will write a summary report to USDA based on the discussion at the conference, proposing future research directions and practical approaches to minimize the dissemination of AR through the food chain. On-site and follow-up surveys will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of the conference in delivering the proposed objectives.