Canadian government invests in Listeria research

Jun. 28, 2013, Ottawa, ON – Genome Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), and Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions have partnered to support a $1.4 million project that will help protect consumers from Listeriosis, a serious foodborne illness caused by Listeria bacteria.

The project, led by Dr. Linda Chui of the University of Alberta, will sequence and map the genomes of different Listeria strains to identify those that are likely to be most harmful to human health, as well as those most likely to survive in food processing facilities.

Through this research, a database of Listeria genome sequences will be developed and genetic markers identified. These markers will be used to rapidly spot harmful Listeria strains in foods and food processing facilities.

“Genomics research such as this is equipping us with new, effective ways to combat threats to food safety. The impact this research will have on averting potential outbreaks and the consequences for Canadian families and industry is tremendous,” said Pierre Meulien, President and CEO of Genome Canada.

“Ensuring the safety of food products is critical to public health and the competitiveness of our agri-food and agriculture industries,” said Dr. Stan Blade, Chief Executive Officer of Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions. “New Listeria detection tests that produce results quickly will allow food producers and regulators to act swiftly and provides assurance of an even higher level of food safety for Canadians,” he added.

Dr. Chui’s 18-month research project is supported through an investment of $250,000 each from Genome Canada (via Genome Alberta) and the CFIA, and $100,000 from Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions. This investment is also being leveraged through co-funding from federal, provincial, academic and industry partners, including Maple Leaf Foods, increasing the total investment to $1.4 million.

“The strength of our project is in the world-class expertise of the research team and the support of many distinguished organizations from across Canada,” said Dr. Chui. “The different researchers on the team bring leading-edge expertise in many areas including food sample preparation, assays development, state-of-the art capacity in bioinformatics and genomics, pathogen detection and outbreak response.”

For more information, please visit  www.genomecanada.ca, www.inspection.gc.ca and www.bio.albertainnovates.ca.