Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) recently approved the first application (A1045) to amend the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code to permit the use of bacteriophage (P100) as a processing aid to reduce levels of Listeria monocytogenes in selected ready-to-eat food. Wider interest in the use of bacteriophages to control bacterial pathogens has been around since the late 1800’s, however it’s only been relatively recently where their application in food production has been actively promoted. This has been particularly driven by the desire to move away from the use antibiotics and similar compounds to combat pathogens in food.
While bacteriophage cannot infect human cells, there are some important considerations when assessing their use in food production. To minimise the potential for the bacteriophage to transfer genes to host bacteria (e.g. increasing pathogenicity or virulence in humans), it is recommended that they be purely virulent (lytic), rather than lysogenic (temperate). FSANZ’s assessment for the use of P100 bacteria also needed to consider whether it performed its stated technological function, and determine the types of food that may be treated. In understanding the mechanisms and efficacy of bacteriophage treatment of food, appropriate host range and the potential for phage-resistant bacteria were also considered.
This presentation will focus on the key regulatory, industry, laboratory and enforcement aspects in the approval and use of bacteriophage products in food production.