+961 8 900 047

lari@lari.gov.lb

LARI-LEB

Fanar

Food Microbiology

About

Food Microbiology Department (FMD) is a part of Fanar Station Laboratory at LARI.Our aim is Food Microbiology Control on all import, export and locally produced food items. The department has been accredited by ESYD since 2012 for eleven ISO methods. Moreover, the department is adopting fast automated systems such as TEMPO® (for the enumeration of QualityIndicators) and VIDAS® (for pathogens detection) enabling us to provide results from 24h tofour days in maximum.

FMD receives on yearly basis trainees from academia, Food Industry sector and Private sector, where in most cases their training is the subject of project graduation and Master thesis.

The carried out researches are coherent with National Policy of Minister Of Agriculture(MOA) and relevant organisms.

Network collaboration of FMD

The department has established a network of collaboration at:

  • National level with the MoPH (member in PulseNet), with Libnor (active member in the Food Technical Committees) , and joint research project with the academic sector (Lebanese University, Saint Joseph University, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Notre Dame University, American University of Beirut).
  • Regional level with the Arab League as Food Safety consultant in the project“Arab Food Safety Initiative For Trade Facilitation” (SAFE).
  • International level with WHO, FAO, Codex Alimentarius (active member),French Agency for Food Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety(ANSES), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Italy, ToulouseUniversity (INP-ENSAT), Laval University

Staff

  • Rima EL HAGE, Ph.D., head of the Department (relhage@lari.gov.lb)
  • Hala TOUBIA, Agricultural Engineer, deputy head of Department
  • Joseph TOUMA , Agricultural Engineer, deputy head of Department
  • Rami RACHID, Lab Technician
  • Ayman MAKKI, Lab Technician
  • Rawan BERRO, Lab Technician
  • Madona BOU ZEID, Lab Technician
  • Samer SLEIMAN, Lab Technician
  • Marwa ZEITOUN, Computer technician
  • Rita NASSIF, Secretary
  • Ali ABDALLAH, Internal Maintenance

Publications

  • 1. Molecular Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance ofCampylobacter coli from Caeca and Carcass of Poultry inLebanon. Acta Scientific Microbiology 1.4 (2018) 63-70.
    • Sukayna M Fadlallah 1 , Rima El Hajj 2 , Jeanne El Hage 2 , Zeina Nasser 3 , Nada Ghosn 3 , WalidAmmar 3 and Ghassan M Matar
    • American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
    • Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI), Fanar Station, Food Microbiology Department, Jdeideh El-Metn, Lebanon
    • Epidemiological Surveillance Unit, Ministry of Public Health, Beirut, Lebanon2.
  • Genotypic and virulence characteristics of Listeriamonocytogenes recovered from food items in Lebanon. J InfectDev Ctries 2016; 10(7):712-717.
    • Nathaline Haidar-Ahmad 1 , Kohar Annie B Kissoyan 1 , Sukayna M Fadlallah 1 , Rima El-Hajj 2 ,Majd Saleh 3 , Nada Ghosn 3 , Ghassan M Matar
    • Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine,American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
    • Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI), Fanar Station, Food MicrobiologyDepartment, Jdeideh El-Metn, Lebanon
    • Epidemiological Surveillance Unit, Ministry of Public Health, Beirut, Lebanon3.
  • PulseNet Lebanon: An Overview of Its Activities, OutbreakInvestigations, and Challenges. FOODBORNE PATHOGENS ANDDISEASE Volume 16, Number 7, 2019 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI:10.1089/fpd.2018.2581.
    • Sukayna M. Fadlallah, 1 Marwa Shehab, 1 Katia Cheaito, 1 Nathaline Haidar-Ahmad, 1 Bassam ElHafi, 1 Majd Saleh, 2 Zeina Nasser, 2 Rima El Hajj, 3 Nada Ghosn, 2 Walid Ammar, 2 and Ghassan M.Matar
    • Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology and Center forInfectious Diseases Research, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut,Lebanon.
    • Epidemiological Surveillance Unit, Ministry of Public Health, Beirut, Lebanon
    • Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI), Fanar Station, Food MicrobiologyDepartment, Jdeideh El-Metn, Lebanon
  • Molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance ofSalmonella species from clinical specimens and food Items inLebanon. J Infect Dev Ctries 2017; 11(1):19-27. doi:10.3855/jidc.7786
    • Sukayna M Fadlallah 1 , Marwa Shehab 1 , Katia Cheaito 1 , Majd Saleh 2 , Nada Ghosn 2 , WalidAmmar 2 , Rima El Hajj 3 , Ghassan M Matar
    • Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine,American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
    • Epidemiological Surveillance Unit, Ministry of Public Health, Beirut, Lebanon
    • Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI), Fanar Station, Food Microbiology Department, Jdeideh El-Metn, Lebanon
  • 5. Prevalence and genetic diversity of Campylobacter spp. in theproduction chain of broiler chickens in Lebanon and itsassociation with the intestinal protozoan Blastocystis sp. 2019Poultry Science 0:1–9 http://dx.doi.org/10.3382/ps/pez286S.
    • Greige,∗,†,‡ K. Rivoal,‡ M. Osman,† D. El Safadi , † F. Dabboussi,† R. El Hage,§ E.Viscogliosi,∗ M. Hamze,† and M. Chemaly‡,
    • ∗Universit´e de Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 – UMR 8204– CIIL – Centre d’Infection et d’Immunit´e de Lille, 59000 Lille, France;
    • Laboratoire Microbiologie Santé Environnement (LMSE), Ecole Doctorale des Sciences et deTechnologie, Facult´e de Sant´e Publique, Universit´e Libanaise, Tripoli, Liban;
    • ANSES, Ploufragan-Plouzan´e Laboratory, Hygiene and Quality of Poultry and Pig ProductsUnit, Bretagne-Loire University, 22440 Ploufragan, France;
    • Institut de Recherche Agronomique Libanais (IRAL), Laboratoire de MicrobiologieAlimentaire, Station de Fanar, Jdeideh El-Metn, Lebanon