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Research by Professor Laura Piddock at the University of Birmingham has shown that the use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in veterinary medicine can select for antibiotic resistance in certain strains of bacteria which then present a potential risk to human health. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are widely used in human medicine to treat bacterial infections. For those patients with chronic bacterial gastroenteritis and/or an invasive infection, fluoroquinolone antibiotics are the empiric treatment of choice by GPs; resistance to these agents represents a large public health risk. The outcomes of the research have been used by policy makers to define the human risks of food borne infection from antibiotic resistant strains and have led to the review and amendment of international policy on the use of antibiotics in food producing animals, in particular the World Health Organisation (published outside of the review period) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The research described has had a direct impact on international policy and the ban on the use of certain antibiotics has had an impact on the levels of fluoroquinolone resistance in bacteria isolated from food producing animals, reducing the transmission of resistant strains to humans.
Our research has led to a change in DoH guidelines on maternal consumption of peanut during pregnancy/breastfeeding.
Guidelines until 2009 advocated the avoidance of peanut in allergic families. However evidence base for this advice was poor and the advice was adopted by families regardless of their allergy status leading to significant constraints on their lifestyles. Our research revealed that peanut allergy is not associated with maternal peanut consumption, and that there was no need for pregnant women to avoid peanut during pregnancy. On the basis of our research DoH concluded that previous guidance was inappropriate and it was thus withdrawn.
Building on a background in nutritional science, Professor Dowler's research on social and policy aspects of food, nutrition and household food security has created impact at local, national and international levels. Her membership of key national expert advisory panels and councils, both official and voluntary, has allowed the research to inform policy-making as well as print and broadcast media debates on many issues, notably the consequences of low wages and benefit cuts on the diet of low-income households; the role played by food banks in relieving food poverty and the benefits of local food networks in securing community-level food resilience.
Professor William Stimson has led research into rapid diagnostic tests for the food industry from 1996 to the present day. These tests reduce the time for microbiological testing of food pathogens from 2-5 days to within a working day. The new technology is fully automated, uses less material and involves fewer manipulations than previously available kits, leading to a reduction in cost and time. A spin out company, Solus Scientific Solutions Ltd., has attracted €1.36M EUROSTARS funding for further Research & Development, and has created 24 jobs. Sales of testing kits produced revenue of £3.4 million by year end 2012, and have increased since this date.
This case study is concerned with the impact of our research on small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food industry in Wales. Specifically, the preliminary impact is about the development of a Knowledge, Innovation and Technology Exchange (KITE) programme. Set up in 2008, it was based on £3.9 million initial investment from the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. Through sustained knowledge exchange via the KITE programme with 31 food manufacturing businesses in Wales there have been two main types of direct impact with benefits to end-users. First, there have been improvements to food production and food safety management systems in many of those businesses. Second, there has been increased economic prosperity, by March 2013 resulting in £27 million of increased sales, £540k of waste reduction within processing, and the creation and safeguarding of 1,072 jobs.
[Throughout this Impact Case Study, references to the underpinning research are numbered 1 to 6; sources to corroborate the impact are numbered 7 to 16.]
A 14 month research project funded by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has informed national policy on allergens and food labelling, EU negotiations by DEFRA on Food Information Regulation and Food Standards Agency advice to industry. The project involved the development of a novel method for eliciting consumer views about food labels, the details of which have been communicated by the FSA to relevant government departments. The results of the project have been presented to FSA, at industry events, within academia and allergy charities, while references to the project have been widely circulated on social media and appear on policy and industry websites.
One solution proposed to contribute to the resolution of the current UK obesity crisis has been to provide clear, visible and easily understood nutritional information to help consumers make informed decisions when purchasing food. Newcastle research provided two insights: first that consumers found it hard to interpret multiple versions of nutritional labels, and secondly that the label with the highest overall comprehension included traffic light colouring, Guideline Daily Amounts and the words "low", "med" and "high" to aid decision making. This information was used by the Department of Health in their approval of a new, consistent food labelling in June 2013. This system has now been adopted by major manufacturers including MARS, Nestlé UK, PepsiCo UK and Premier Foods, and retailers including Sainsbury's, Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons, The Co-operative Food and Waitrose.
Bangor research has significantly affected vegetable sourcing and distribution policies and practice of major fresh producers and UK supermarkets. Using a novel carbon footprinting model that incorporates all components of the production chain, the research demonstrated that footprints of vegetables vary with season, origin, production processes, transport and storage. The application of this model by industry partners has resulted in measures by food producers, suppliers and supermarkets to reduce carbon footprints, providing direct economic and environmental benefits through both waste reduction and technology implementation. Furthermore, the findings have impacted on sustainability policy development by the World Bank, international NGOs and Welsh Government, and influenced consumer awareness and debate on the environmental impact of food.
Research into `Food and Sustainable Communities' has become increasingly applied and impact- oriented during the current REF census period, reflecting a diversification in funding sources and a growing recognition of the significance, quality and international reach of the research undertaken.
This research has delivered national and international impact in the following key areas:
Research by Jackson and the CONANX group (Consumer anxieties about food) at Sheffield has enhanced understanding of recent changes in UK food and farming, including the globalization of supply chains, technological innovation and retail concentration all of which have led to increased consumer anxieties about food safety and security. The research has influenced commercial practice for a leading UK food retailer; enhanced public understanding and encouraged more healthy eating (via museum exhibitions, an educational website and changes to school curricula); and helped shape public policy (through Jackson's work with DEFRA and the Food Standards Agency).