SECALIM (UMR1014 INRAE/Oniris)

Food Safety and Microbiology

The unit in a few clicks

The unit at a glance

How do the bacteria's food environments, encountered throughout the production chain, influence their ecology and microbial risks?

Key words

FOOD SAFETY - ECOSYSTEM - INTERACTION - MICROBIAL RISK - CAMPYLOBACTER

Director of the unit

Dr Sandrine GUILLOU

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Microbiological alteration

Presentation of work carried out as part of ANR16-CE21-0006 REDLOSSES project (french version without subtitles)


Introducing the unit

SECALIM (Food Safety and Microbiology) is an INRAE/Oniris Joint Research Unit (UMR1014) working in the field of microbiological food safety.

SECALIM's mission is to produce and disseminate scientific knowledge and methods in the field of food microbiological safety in response to societal demands for public health and control of food losses. Its research aims to characterise and control microbial risk (health and spoilage) in meat and seafood products. Molecular methods, classical microbiology and predictive microbiology are used to understand, quantify and model the behaviour of microorganisms during food processing, on the scale of the microbial ecosystem or on the scale of target model species, in particular Campylobacter and Brochothrix thermosphacta. A better assessment of microbiological risk enables us to provide expert, innovative solutions and ensure the microbiological safety of food.

Unit website

Research objectives

Measuring and interpreting microbial responses 

  • Responses to abiotic changes (protective atmosphere, high pressure, etc.)
  • Responses to biotic modifications (Biopreservation)
  • Two models of bacteria: Brochothrix thermosphacta and Campylobacter jejuni

Characterising and monitoring microbial communities

  • Biodiversity of microbial ecosystems
  • Dynamics of microbial communities
  • Mechanisms of bacterial interaction

Assessing and reducing the risk to consumers

  • Modelling bacterial growth, survival and adaptation
  • Assessment of the microbiological risks to the consumer
  • Risk-benefit approaches

Research themes

  • Analyse the diversity of food ecosystems and their interactions
  • Understand the responses of bacteria to biotic and abiotic changes in their environment
  • Quantify microbial risk and propose innovative risk management options

Director of the unit

Dr Sandrine GUILLOU

The unit at a glance

How do the bacteria's food environments, encountered throughout the production chain, influence their ecology and microbial risks?