Food Safety

Evidence for Policy program

The aim of the Evidence for Policy program is to commission and support research projects that contribute to food safety and broader public health policy development.

The objectives of the program are to:

1. identify research needed to fill critical gaps in scientific knowledge concerning both assessment and management of food safety risks
2. measure effectiveness of food safety regulatory activities
3. develop knowledge-led approaches for the prediction and reduction of the causes of food related illness and public health
4. ensure widespread scientific, industry and stakeholder recognition and adoption of the outcomes of the sponsored research

Project Priorities for 2012 funding year (commences 1/7/2012)

• Undertaking food safety risk ranking with stakeholders (consumers, regulators and industry) to inform better communication and management of risk.
• Develop systems that integrate currently available information on consumer food choice into models of food use and consumption to inform development of regulatory instruments
• The development and implementation of more effective interventions to improve the hygiene and safety of food, focussing on control of significant food risks at the most effective segment of the food supply chain.
• Investigation of the persistence of pathogens (particularly Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes) in food or food processing environments.

Researchers are invited to submit project applications related to these research priorities that contribute to the research objectives of the program.

Contact the program through foodsafety.research@health.vic.gov.au