RESEARCH GROUP: MICROBIOLOGY AND FOOD SAFETY

1.      List of member

2.   Field of research

-         Isolation, characterization, and utilization of functional microbial strains for applications in food preservation, processing technologies, and enhancement of product functionality and economic value;

-         Risk analysis and development of food safety risk assessment tools;

-         Monitoring and control of microbiological and chemical contaminants across traditional and industrial food systems.

-         Design and application of traceability systems, rapid diagnostic methodologies, and biotechnological innovations to strengthen food supply chain integrity, transparency, and responsiveness.

The group is committed to integrating scientific research with practical applications, providing technological support to the food industry to enhance product quality, safety, and value, while actively contributing to national initiatives on food safety and public health promotion.

3.      Project

4.   Cooperating organization

Domestic organization

-  Research Institute For Marine Fisheries (http://www.rimf.org.vn/)

-  Vietnam Academy Of Science And Technology (http://vast.gov.vn/)

-  Food Industries Research Institute (https://firi.vn/)

-  National Institute Of Food Control (http://nifc.gov.vn/)

-  Center for Public Health and Ecosystem Research (CENPHER), Hanoi University of Public Health (HUPH) (http://huph.edu.vn) 

-  School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) (http://scls.hust.edu.vn/en)

-  Hanoi University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (http://hus.vnu.edu.vn) 

-  University of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University (HUAF) (http://en.huaf.edu.vn)

-  Can Tho University – Faculty (or Department) of Food Technology, Institute of Food and Biotechnology (http://ifb.ctu.edu.vn/en)

-  Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade (HUFI) (http://huit.edu.vn)

-  Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education (HCMUTE) (http://hcmute.edu.vn)

-  National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Ministry of Health, Vietnam (http://viendinhduong.vn)

-  Ba Vi Milk Joint‑Stock Company (http://bavimilk-jsc.com.vn/)

-  Food processing enterprises / companies

-  Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development & Natural Resources and Environment

-  Provincial Sub‑Department of Quality Management for Agro‑Forestry and Aquatic Products

-  Local Provincial Chapters of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union and Vietnam Women’s Union

International organization

-  University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) – Austria (https://boku.ac.at/en/)

-  University of Liège (ULiège), Louvain – Belgium (https://www.uliege.be/en/)

-  Kyushu University – Japan (https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/)

-  Kasetsart University – Thailand (https://ku.ac.th/en/)

-  Everest 23 Professional Solutions Sdn. Bhd. – Malaysia (https://www.everest23.com.my/)

5.   Technologies developed and available for transfer

Fermented food & probiotic production technology

- Optimized probiotic cultures - Establishing robust and high‑viability production pipelines for Bacillus spp. probiotics and lactic acid bacterial starter cultures, targeted for fermented food manufacturing and as functional feed supplements, with controlled biomass yields, viability, and functional metabolite profiles.

- Enhanced traditional fermentation strategies - Refining artisanal food fermentations through starter‑culture engineering, microbial succession control, and enzymatic interventions that biologically suppress biogenic amine formation and inhibit undesirable microbes.

- Beverage and functional product design - Formulating nutraceutical beverages and fermented food products enriched with bioactive metabolites (e.g. bacteriocins, exopolysaccharides), harnessing microbial fermentation to deliver health-promoting benefits.

- Stabilized herbal tea‑bag production - Developing production protocols for tea bags made from local medicinal herbs, focusing on standardised extraction, micro-encapsulation, or lyophilisation techniques to preserve bioactive profiles and physicochemical stability.

- Fruit beer fermentation innovation - Creating naturally fermented fruit beers (e.g. from apricot, pineapple, dragon fruit) using indigenous yeast strains isolated, molecularly characterised, and deployed in controlled fermentations to achieve regionality, consistency, and safety.

- Gluten-free cereal powder development - Engineering gluten‑free formulations (using composite pseudo‑cereals and extrusion techniques) to produce functional cereal powders that meet nutritional, sensory and allergen‑free requirements for health-conscious consumers.

Food safety testing & monitoring technology

- Pathogen isolation & identification workflows - Validated protocols for sampling, culturing, and molecular typing of E. coli, Salmonella and related pathogens from meat, vegetables, and environmental water, ensuring traceable and reproducible detection.

- Risk-assessment models with traceability integration.

- Aptamer‑based rapid diagnostics - Development of high‑affinity aptamer probes selected via SELEX for portable, field-deployable detection of specific foodborne pathogens and toxins, offering enhanced sensitivity and specificity compared to antibody-based assays.

Transfer of Training & System‑Operation Procedures

Transfer of training and system operation procedures

- Training documents on risk assessment - risk communication for enterprises, cooperatives, local management.

- Quality control procedures and building a food safety culture in small-scale production facilities..

6.   Key scientific and technological activities of the research group in 2025

Organizing and participating in specialized scientific seminars

In 2025, the Microbiology and Food Safety Research Group continues to consolidate its pivotal position in applied research, academic training, and technology transfer through a series of thematically focused, practice-oriented scientific events.

Seminar content is curated to align with the group’s strategic research direction, addressing contemporary issues in food safety and biotechnology:

-        Development of sustainable food systems designed for deployment in emergency and disaster relief contexts;

-        Integration of quantitative risk assessment models into the management of traditional and artisanal food products;

-        Monitoring and mitigation strategies for biogenic amines in fermented food matrices, with a focus on public health and regulatory implications.

Fostering scientific publication and research dissemination

The group has led or co-authored over ten peer-reviewed articles in internationally recognized journals. In addition, members have actively contributed to the scientific discourse through the authorship of review papers, conference proceedings, and technical publications, focusing on key areas such as foodborne hazard management, beneficial microorganisms, digital traceability frameworks, and innovations in food biotechnology.

Executing technology transfer, consultancy, and capacity building

A broad range of knowledge and technology transfer initiatives have been undertaken, including:

-        Advisory services and technical support for the formulation of ministerial- and national-level R&D proposals in the domains of traditional fermented foods, gluten-free product development, microbial risk modeling, and blockchain-based traceability tools;

-        Organization of targeted training programs on advanced pathogen detection methods (e.g., aptamer-based assays, SELEX technology), updates on food safety regulatory frameworks, risk communication strategies, and quality management systems;

-        Compilation of tailored training materials for food producers, cooperatives, and local governance stakeholders to strengthen operational food safety practices.

Advancing priority research initiatives

In 2025, the research group has formulated and submitted full proposals for several key scientific investigations, focusing on:

-        Elucidation of biochemical pathways and control mechanisms governing biogenic amine formation in traditional fermented food products;

-        Application of food biotechnology in the valorization of sorghum as a gluten-free raw material for functional food development;

-        Design and deployment of diagnostic tools for the identification of food fraud risks and the generation of sector-specific vulnerability maps.

Expanding scientific and international collaboration

The group continues to actively cultivate collaborations with domestic and international academic institutions, research organizations, and industry partners. Academic exchanges, expert workshops, and participation in international symposia have been carried out under partnerships with Austria, Belgium, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand – particularly in the domains of rapid diagnostic technology, probiotic innovation, and risk assessment for food safety.

7.   Highlights of scientific and technological sctivities and products

National Workshop on “Food Safety and Health” (November 10, 2023) (https://vnua.edu.vn/tin-tuc-su-kien/tin-hoat-dong-khac/hoi-thao-quoc-gia-ve-an-toan-thuc-pham-va-suc-khoe-55431)

Seminar: “Development of sensitive and economical immunological tests using recombinant antibody fragments” (January 6, 2024) (https://eng.vnua.edu.vn/news-and-events/seminar-development-of-sensitive-and-economical-immunological-tests-using-recombinant-antibody-fragments-55634)

Training on the laboratory system for microbiological contamination in food "Procedure for isolating Salmonella sp. and E. coli bacteria contaminated in pork/chicken" (January 11-12, 2024)

Strengthening research and training cooperation between the Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Vietnam National University of Agriculture and the Center for Public Health and Ecosystem Research, University of Public Health (January 15, 2024) (https://cntp.vnua.edu.vn/tin-tuc-va-su-kien/tang-cuong-hop-tac-nghien-cuu-va-dao-tao-cua-khoa-cong-nghe-thuc-pham-hoc-vien-nong-nghiep-viet-nam-va-trung-tam-nghien-cuu-y-te-cong-cong-va-he-sinh-thai-truong-dai-hoc-y-te-cong-cong-56098)

Expanding cooperation with Malaysia experts in improvement of food safety and quality management capacity (May 18, 2024) ( https://eng.vnua.edu.vn/news-and-events/expanding-cooperation-with-malaysia-experts-in-improvement-of-food-safety-and-quality-management-capacity-56080)

Training on "Updating food safety knowledge and legal regulations on ensuring food safety of agricultural, forestry and fishery products" (June 2024) (https://vnua.edu.vn/tin-tuc-su-kien/tin-hoat-dong-khac/cap-nhat-kien-thuc-an-toan-thuc-pham-va-cac-quy-dinh-cua-phap-luat-ve-an-toan-thuc-pham-trong-cong-dong-56258)

Seminar and Trainning on: Tools for Pathogen Detection: Introduction to Aptamers and SELEX (May 2025) ( https://eng.vnua.edu.vn/news-and-events/tools-for-pathogen-detection-introduction-to-aptamers-and-selex-57330)

8.   Contact

The Microbiology and Food safety Research group, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, VNUA

Email: ncm.attp.cntp@gmail.com

Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/ncmvsvattp.fst.vnua

Team leader: Ass.Prof., Dr. Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thủy    Email: ttthuycntp@vnua.edu.vn