Food safety Printable version
Nord-Pas de Calais, priority to food security
Food security is now a major concern of governments, food industry and consumers. Nord-Pas de Calais has internationally recognized expertise at the service of food safety.



Institut Pasteur de Lille

Private foundation for developing research activities and expertise in the areas of environment, health and Nutrition, Institut Pasteur de Lille is one of strong regional structures involved in food security, particularly in controlling microbiological risk.

It offers industry an on-site assistance (quality audit, management control plan, the HACCP study, training of staff) and a validation of expertise and DLC DLUO (challenge test).

The institute also provides agribusiness professionals a wide range of analysis: BSE, microbiological analysis (detection / rapid typing, tracking bacterial count), chemical (nutritional analysis, composition, heavy metals , pesticides, dioxins).

And thanks to these specialized sites :

  • Department of Microbiology and Food Hygiene (SERMHA) located in Villeneuve d'Ascq

  • Nutrition Service, based in Lille

  • Laboratory Study of Organic Traces (LETO), based in Douai, whose expertise is focused on the measurement of dioxins, furans and organic pollutants in all types of matrices, especially food.

L'Institut National de Recherche Agronomique (INRA)

A major research themes of the INRA center of Lille is the master of innovation in food industries, particularly food security, at several levels: process engineering, microbiology, packaging...

The teams' engineering processes "of INRA are working on :

  • study of heat treatment and mechanical properties of complex fluids and their rheology;

  • suitable cleaning and disinfection of equipment for food industries in collaboration with researchers at the microbiology department whose expertise ranges from the study of adaptation to stress in the formation of biofilms of microorganisms alteration but pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus &).



The laboratory has a technological hall with 750 m2 of the industrial pilot mode es, thus enabling high-level research and transfer to business.

L'Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments (AFSSA)

National benchmark in the field of food safety AFSSA is present throughout the region through the Laboratoire d'Etudes et de Recherches sur les Produits de la Pêche, based in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

His research focuses on :

  • knowledge of the mechanisms of contamination and alteration of fish by chemical and microbiological markers (including markers linked to the autolysis or bacterial degradation)

  • control stabilization processes

  • Analytical innovation (applied molecular typing to the identification of pathways of contamination of smoked fish, optimization of methods for detection of vibrios in seafood).

All these actors, of course, works in collaboration with research laboratories of the regional universities :

  • Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille (USTL),

  • Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale (ULCO)

  • Université de Valenciennes et du Hainaut Cambrésis (UVHC)

  • Université du Droit et de la Santé de Lille 2

And with the two engineering schools agroalimentaires of Lille :

  • the Institut Supérieur d'Agriculture (ISA)

  • and the département IAAL de POLYTECH'LILLE.

 The latter offer, along with their teachings, to support regional businesses on the issues the sector, including food security.

Research results from these laboratories, private and public, are then transferred and promoted within the regional food businesses through partnerships with regional technical centers, members of the ACTIA :

  • the ADRIANOR, specialized in meat products, sausage products and caterers

  • and working on CEVPM seafood (microbiological and nutritional aspects).

 At the level of the craft, the Institute for Applied Research in Quality Control (INRACQ), the technical center Chambre des Métiers du Pas-de-Calais, accompanying professionals mouth in their HACCP and hygiene, all in consultation with the supervising of the DGCCRF and veterinary services.

Finally, with these laboratories, schools and technical centers, companies like Clabo Council or Biorad Cereco provide the region with a density of actors, skills and expertise in the field of food security rare in Europe.