DK: Agarplade (antibiotikaresistens). Foto:  Mikkel Adsbøl | EN: agar plate (antibiotic resistance). Photo:  Mikkel Adsbøl

Special topic portal highlights fight against antimicrobial resistance

Food, fish and agriculture Food safety Bacteria and microorganisms Genes and genomes

Denmark's experience in reducing antimicrobial consumption and resistance over the past 20 years is often highlighted as a good example around the world. The National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, has been a part of these efforts from the start and since 1995 the institute has conducted research in the field and contributed technical solutions to reduce antimicrobial use and the occurrence of resistant bacteria. Learn more by exploring the National Food Institute's new special topic portal on antimicrobial resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest threats to human health according to the WHO. Through its research over the past 20 years the National Food Institute has contributed to identifying the risk factors that cause resistance in the food chain in Denmark and globally. The institute uses this knowledge to advise authorities and organizations in Denmark as well as internationally on how to reduce antimicrobial resistance.

The institute’s research results have e.g. helped pave the way for the Danish ban on antimicrobial growth promoters. The institute’s researchers are also frontrunners in mapping, gathering and analyzing bacteria's DNA profile using whole genome sequencing. The National Food Institute's researchers along with colleagues from DTU Systems Biology head up a major EU project to develop a platform for sharing sequencing data, which will make it easier to detect and respond to the discovery of new resistance genes.

The National Food Institute is furthermore one of the partners behind the DANMAP programme, which monitors antimicrobial use in humans and animals in Denmark as well as the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria in animals, people and foods. The monitoring programme has inspired the development of similar monitoring strategies all over the world. 

Read more

Explore the National Food Institute’s new special topic portal on antimicrobial resistance and read about the institute’s activities and research results in this field.

On the institute’s website you will also find special topic portals on nutrition and dietary habits, chemical exposure, risk assessments and disease-causing microorganisms. More topics will be added over time.

Please fill out this form if you would like to see other topics explained in greater detail on the website www.food.dtu.dk.