The PATH-SAFE Program, led by the Food Standards Agency, is utilizing InnovaPrep’s FluidPrep™ and AirPrep™ technologies in a multi-year program focused on improving detection and monitoring of foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance from "farm to fork" across Great Britain.
Using advanced environmental sampling and DNA sequencing, the program aims to address public health concerns linked to foodborne bacteria and antimicrobial resistant microbes, which cause severe illness and create resistant "superbugs."
PATH-SAFE is establishing a national surveillance network to track these issues throughout the agri-food supply chain, leveraging new technologies, such as InnovaPrep to strengthen public health protection.
One of the goals of this project is to utilize the infrastructure developed for Northern Ireland’s SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance program and undertake building level wastewater monitoring using the Concentrating Pipette™ to investigate prevalence of a foodborne disease, norovirus, and antimicrobial resistance within nursing care homes. Concurrently, the InnovaPrep AirPrep™ Cub Samplers are set up to monitor airborne disease pathogens in these facilities.
Partners on this project include Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Queen’s University Belfast, Department of Health, Public Health Agency, Environment Agency, Department for Infrastructure, and Northern Ireland Water.
Read more about the larger PATH-SAFE program.