The FSRN Pilots Award is a rapid call for relevant short-term projects with funding needs from £2,000 to £10,000. Cross-sector and cross-disciplinary projects are encouraged.
In an effort to address the “silent pandemic” of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a recently concluded UK Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)–FAO project has helped partners across Africa and Asia to improve their AMR detection, analysis, and mitigation capabilities.
Three Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak clusters potentially associated with imported eggs, one of which is part of a broader EU-wide outbreak, are under investigation. There is no evidence implicating UK-produced eggs. UKHSA emphasized that the overall risk to the public is low.
In an analysis of a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak in which one person died, UKHSA highlighted investigation details, risk assessment and control measures, and the potential risks associated with home-delivered cook-chill meals.
A vehicle of illness has not yet been definitively confirmed, but according to UKHSA, epidemiological evidence points to egg consumption as the strongest food signal identified to date.
Cases decreased by 27.2 percent from the previous year. Although Cryptosporidium can be transmitted through routes other than food, the parasite can enter the food supply through contaminated irrigation water and contact with excrement during cultivation, harvesting, and handling.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) attributed the increase to growing food systems complexity driven by global supply chains, cross-border distribution, and online marketplaces.
UKHSA said the relatively stable number of STEC notifications in 2025 marked a departure from the steady annual increases observed since 2021, when larger outbreaks contributed substantially to case counts.
Overall, 72 percent of targeted surveillance samples were deemed satisfactory. FSA flagged imported, niche products, like Dubai-style chocolates, South Asian snacks, and ashwagandha supplements, as especially problematic.
