700534Market for Campylobacter monitoring / Diagnostic tools - an in depth studyClosedGRD Proof of MarketInnovate UKCampylobacter is an issue affecting the UK’s general population and its food and agricultural industries. Over the past 5- 10 years much effort has been made by the government to address the problem, however it still causes 100+ deaths, 22,000 hospitalisations and over 280,000 reported cases a year. In November, 2014 the Food Standards Agency (FSA) revealed that 70% of birds carried the Campylobacter, with an average of 18% being very heavily contaminated. This was well publicised by the national media. Both the FSA and the supermarkets are demanding action to reduce the level of the disease and quickly. The best solution would be to stem the disease “at source” but any work in this direction has been limited by the lack of a quick, accurate and inexpensive detection device. Existing methods require workers to collect faecal samples on over-socks from the chicken houses, taking a reading on a Lateral Flow Device, or sending them away to a laboratory for a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) analysis. Both require manual intervention, are expensive and slow. This continues to make it very difficult to objectively assess the benefits of any interventions in a timely or accurate manner. We are developing a “real time”, early stage monitoring system, looking at VOCs (volatile organic compounds) detected in chicken houses. A potential market exists in the UK for 5000 units, however identifying the real market, which extends beyond this, down the supply chain and forward into retail needs to be investigated in greater depth. This Proof of Market study, is aimed at identifying the nature of the market UK and revealing the true beneficiaries, who will pay for a “real time” Campylobacter monitor. The goal of the project is to clearly identify how the various component parts of the poultry industry wish to address this issue and what benefits the “real time” monitoring system would offer them.