AN OVERVIEW OF MICROBIAL FOOD SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT

This is an overview of the application of risk assessment for evaluati ng and managing foodborne microbiological health risks. Risk assessmen t comprises four steps: hazard identification, hazard characterization , exposure assessment. and risk characterization. The process provides a framework for systemic and objective evaluation of all available in formation pertaining to the foodborne hazard. The outcome of microbial risk assessment is an estimation of the magnitude of human health ris k In terms of likelihood of exposure to a pathogenic microorganism in a food and the likelihood and impact of any adverse health effects aft er exposure. Characterization of the uncertainties and variability in the information used and in the risk estimate itself is pact of the ov erall process. Risk assessment thus provides an objective scientific b asis for decision making in ensuring the safety of the food supply. Th is approach to evaluation and management of microbial food safety risk s is still in the developmental stages, but as it evolves it will faci litate the process of establishing microbiological criteria for foods in international trade and guidelines for national standards and polic ies. Furthermore, a detailed risk assessment can be used to identify c ritical gaps in our knowledge base, characterize the most important ri sk factors in the production-to-consumption food chain, help identify strategies for risk reduction, and provide guidance far determining pr iorities in public health and food safety research programs.