SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists from IBM
Research (NYSE: IBM) and Mars, Incorporated today established the
Consortium for Sequencing the Food Supply Chain, a collaborative
food safety platform that will leverage advances in genomics to
further our understanding of what makes food safe.
Protecting the global food supply is a monumental public health
challenge. In the U.S. alone, one in six people are affected by
food-borne diseases each year, resulting in 128,000
hospitalizations, 3,000 deaths, and $9
billion in medical costs. Another $75
billion worth of contaminated food is recalled and discarded
annually.
As the food supply chain becomes more global and complex, new,
innovative approaches that use genetic data to better understand
and improve food safety are emerging, holding the promise of
unparalleled insight and understanding of the total supply chain.
In support of this goal, the consortium will conduct the
largest-ever metagenomics study to categorize and understand
micro-organisms and the factors that influence their activity in a
normal, safe factory environment. This work could be extended into
the larger context of the food supply chain -- from farm to fork --
and lead to new insights into how microorganisms interact within a
factory ecology and be better controlled by new data and
science-driven practices.
As a first step, the consortium's scientists will investigate
the genetic fingerprints of living organisms such as bacteria,
fungi, or viruses and how they grow in different environments,
including countertops, factories, and raw materials. This data will
be used to further investigate how bacteria interact, which could
result in completely new ways to view supply chain food safety
management.
"The Consortium for Sequencing the Food Supply Chain has the
potential to revolutionize food safety, providing a powerful tool
to identify and address new threats on an unprecedented scale,
enabling critical breakthroughs in global food safety," said
Dave Crean, Vice President,
Corporate Research and Development, Mars, Incorporated. "We are
excited to be working with IBM Research on this, and look forward
to welcoming additional partners in the future to help drive global
innovation in genomics, food, and agriculture."
While many food companies such as Mars already have rigorous
processes in place to ensure food safety risks are managed
appropriately, this pioneering application of genomics will enable
an in-depth understanding and categorization of micro-organisms on
a much bigger scale than has previously been possible.
"Genome sequencing serves as a new kind of microscope – one that
uses data to peer deeply into our natural environment to uncover
insights that were previously unknowable," said Jeff Welser, Vice President and Lab Director,
IBM Research - Almaden. "By mining insights from genomic data,
we're seeking to understand how to identify, interpret and
ultimately create healthy and protective microbial management
systems within the food supply chain."
The consortium's research will initially focus on select raw
materials and factory environments but will ultimately extend up
and down the entire food supply chain and include applications for
farmers.
Understanding soil microorganisms, for example, will be crucial
to helping farmers learn how to protect their plants from pathogens
while ensuring healthy growth and nutrient uptake.
The first data samples will be gathered at Mars-owned production
facilities, while IBM's genomics, healthcare and analytics experts
will utilize IBM's Accelerated Discovery THINKLab, a unique
collaborative research environment, for the large-scale
computational and data requirements of this initiative. Beyond the
research, data and findings will be presented in a systematic way
to enable affordable and widespread use of these testing
techniques.
As the food supply chain becomes more global and complex, better
approaches to ensuring safe food are needed, this consortium aims
to take food safety to a new level through unparalleled insight and
understanding of the total supply chain.
The consortium will be adding additional members from academia,
industry and government. For more information about the consortium
visit: Sequence the Food Supply Chain or www.ibm.com/wildducks.
Follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag
#foodinnovation.
About IBM Research
Now entering its 70th year, IBM Research continues to define the
future of information technology, with more than 3,000 researchers
in twelve labs located across 10 countries on six continents.
Scientists from IBM Research have produced six Nobel Laureates, 10
U.S. National Medals of Technology; five U.S. National Medals of
Science, six Turing Awards, 19 inductees in the National Academy of
Sciences and 14 inductees into the U.S. National Inventors Hall of
Fame – the most of any company.
About Mars, Incorporated
In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the
first Mars candies in his Tacoma,
Washington kitchen and established Mars' first roots as a
confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars,
Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched
the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the
United Kingdom with a dream
of building a business based on the objective of creating a
"mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders" – this objective
serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in
McLean, Virginia, Mars has net
sales of more than $33 billion, six
business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food,
Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 75,000 Associates worldwide
that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference
for people and the planet through its performance.
Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®,
WHISKAS®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital, CESAR®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES® and
NUTRO®; Chocolate – M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®,
MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™
chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® AND
LIFESAVERS® mints. Food – UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®,
MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE
ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®;
Symbioscience – COCOAVIA® and WISDOM PANEL®.
For more information, please visit www.mars.com. Follow
us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars,
linkedin.com/company/mars
Ari Entin
IBM Media Relations
aentin@us.ibm.com
408-927-2272
Ryan Bowling
Mars, Inc. Media Relations
ryan.bowling@effem.com
908-914-1702
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SOURCE IBM