AFSSA has the status of a government institution and is jointly answerable to the Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Consumer Affairs. The agency contributes to insuring the safety of food, from the production of raw materials to distribution through to the final consumer. The researcher and scientific and technical support activities of the agency's 12 laboratories cover animal health, food hygiene and quality, hydrology and veterinary medicinal products. The Research Laboratory on Food Quality and Food Processes, which is one of these laboratories, is interested in all aspects concerning food hygiene and quality. This laboratory has had research collaboration with different European research groups for the past 5 years, partially through the European research project Food-PCR (QLK1-CT-1999-00226) whose aim was the development of standardized PCR methods for detection of food-borne pathogens. We were also one of the partners of the Concerted Action Verocytotoxigenic E. coli in Europe (CT98-3935) and are actually involved in the WP on VTEC in the Med-Vet-Network of Excellence, which is coordinated by AFSSA. (Patrick Fach)