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Junior research group 'supply-chain-models'

Project

Food and consumer protection

This project contributes to the research aim 'Food and consumer protection'. Which funding institutions are active for this aim? What are the sub-aims? Take a look:
Food and consumer protection


Project code: BfR-BIOS-08-1323-104
Contract period: 01.07.2017 - 30.06.2020
Purpose of research: Inventory & Assessment

The junior research group will focus on the modeling of manufacturing and transfer processes, thus dealing with topics from various departments of the BfR. In recent years, various mathematical models and software tools have been developed in the area of product chain analysis, which already contribute to the efficient and transparent assessment of microbial and toxicological risks in some areas. In addition to the new and further development of the tools, it is of crucial importance to generate and validate new models adapted to specific product groups and the current global flows of goods and production processes. A model knowledge bank on food production processes is to be developed on the basis of the software FSK-Lab, the process parameters are recorded in detail - including relevant parameters such as temperature, pH, pressure, etc. Furthermore, using PMM -Lab extending the BfR model-database for predictive microbial models so that both the spread of pathogens and the occurrence of certain process contaminants in product streams can be simulated and quantified, taking into account product-specific manufacturing processes (e.g. heating). To this end, extensions to the developed tools are developed so that dynamically changing external conditions as well as uncertainties and biological variances can be recorded. The following sub-tasks are to be implemented within the framework of the junior research group: • Production processes of various selected products are described in detail in a model-specific manner and stored in a structured format • in cooperation with Unit 41 (Bandick), experiments will be carried out, which make it possible to develop or validate predictive models • the developed and applied models in FSK-Lab should be verified by means of their own experimental manufacturing processes In a further step, these new analytical possibilities are to be integrated with tools such as FoodChainLab (product chain reconstruction and analysis) or STEM (epidemiological distribution within the product chains). The most common use of these tools are large (international) disease outbreaks, traceability within product chains or the simulation of the spatial and temporal spread of contaminants (including epidemics). By integrating the manufacturing process models, the assessment of the exposure of consumers using current commodity data will be improved qualitatively and quantitatively. These application options are both possible and relevant for both the food and feed sectors. The second doctoral thesis (Department 8) aims to improve quantitative predictions of the transfer of unwanted substances that can enter the food chain along the global chain. To this end, animal experiments for calibration are still necessary. The possibilities of estimation of transfer parameters based on results from in vitro investigations should be tested (Bf3R). The junior research group will therefore also take a further step towards the substitution of animal experiments by the development and establishment of new / suitable in vitro methods. With the aid of toxicokinetic models based on in vitro parameters and in vivo studies, parameters can be estimated which are of crucial importance for the assessment of health risks in times of global product chains because they cannot be generated solely from animal experiments (e.g. contents of contaminants in specific tissues, cell compartments and / or physiological fluids). Toxicokinetic models are used to describe livestock as important members of the food and animal feed chains. The following tasks are to be implemented: • Toxicokinetic modeling of the transfer of undesirable substances from global (feed) farms to the farm animal • Modeling the transfer on the basis of data generated at the BfR from animal experiments • Programming of user-friendly tools / apps for simulating toxicokinetics scenarios in food-borne animals • Establishment and support of tools / apps to support the decision-making of risk managers in case of contamination events in the context of global product chains.

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Subjects

Framework programme

BMEL Frameworkprogramme 2008

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