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<BR>Scientific evaluation of microbiological risks <BR><BR><BR>Multiple microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, parasites) are able to contaminate foodstuffs and cause a variety of illnesses. <BR>Microbiological risk evaluation aims to describe these microorganisms, understand how they contaminate humans and food, estimate from what level of contamination foodstuffs pose a risk for consumers and help the competent authority to set up the best possible measures for preventing the risks and protecting consumers. <BR><BR><BR>As with any scientific risk evaluation, microbiological risk evaluation is based on four main stages: <BR><BR>- Hazard identification involves describing the pathogen, its characteristics, habitat (ecology), the way in which humans and food can become contaminated (exposure conditions, more vulnerable specific populations) and the problems it can cause.<BR><BR>- Exposure assessment partly depends on the frequency, level and type (on the surface? disparate?) of food contamination and partly on the amount consumed by the population. In order to assess exposure, it is necessary to estimate the level of food contamination at the different stages of the food chain, particularly during consumption. The effectiveness of treatments (cooking, freezing, etc.) seeking to stop, reduce or eliminate the microbial hazard from multiplying in the food needs assessing, as does the probability of cross-contamination. Unlike viruses and parasites, bacteria can multiply in contaminated food depending on the food's characteristics (water content, acidity, temperature, etc.). This possible bacterial multiplication in the contaminated food must be taken into account during the exposure assessment.<BR><BR>- Hazard characterisation involves assessing the adverse health effects. It is important to identify the specific factors of the food, pathogen and person infected as these influence the pathogenicity, in terms of frequency, duration and severity of symptoms. Accordingly, for each population infected by a given microorganism, there is a link between the exposure level and the probability of developing a defined disease.<BR>- Risk characterisation is the final stage, which integrates the information collected at the previous stages. The risk can be defined by the probability of the adverse health effect surviving (specific disease, death, hospitalisation, etc.) after exposure to the contaminated food. It can also be expressed as the number of cases of a specific disease or deaths, per unit of time and per number of people within the population concerned, attribuable to a specific food/pathogen couple.<BR><BR><BR>the Agency is involved at every level of this process. In response to the risks identified, it recommends measures to the State (risk manager) for protecting the population. The work it carries out also helps to identify existing research needs for perfecting scientific risk evaluation. <BR><BR><BR>January 2009<BR>Find out more...<BR>Human food<BR>Home,Anses,News,Press room,Agenda,Our topics,Food,Animal health and nutrition,Environmental health,Occupational health,Plants,Opinions and publications,Last opinions and reports,Food opinions and reports,Animal health and nutrition opinions and reports,Environmental and occupational health opinions and reports,Plants opinions,Opinions and reports in English,Bulletins and periodicals,Other publications,Subscribe to Anses newsletter,Research and reference,Research program,Laboratories and reference activities, + ,Job opportunities,Public procurement contracts,Our websites,Partners,Extranet / ExpertNet,Kid's area,Legal notice,Contact, ,<A HREF='PNW4I0.htm'>Microbiological risk</A>
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Scientific evaluation of microbiological risks
Multiple microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, parasites) are able to contaminate foodstuffs and cause a variety of illnesses. Microbiological risk evaluation aims to describe these microorganisms, understand how they contaminate humans and food, estimate from what level of contamination foodstuffs pose a risk for consumers and help the competent authority to set up the best possible measures for preventing the risks and protecting consumers.
As with any scientific risk evaluation, microbiological risk evaluation is based on four main stages:
- Hazard identification involves describing the pathogen, its characteristics, habitat (ecology), the way in which humans and food can become contaminated (exposure conditions, more vulnerable specific populations) and the problems it can cause.
- Exposure assessment partly depends on the frequency, level and type (on the surface? disparate?) of food contamination and partly on the amount consumed by the population. In order to assess exposure, it is necessary to estimate the level of food contamination at the different stages of the food chain, particularly during consumption. The effectiveness of treatments (cooking, freezing, etc.) seeking to stop, reduce or eliminate the microbial hazard from multiplying in the food needs assessing, as does the probability of cross-contamination. Unlike viruses and parasites, bacteria can multiply in contaminated food depending on the food's characteristics (water content, acidity, temperature, etc.). This possible bacterial multiplication in the contaminated food must be taken into account during the exposure assessment.
- Hazard characterisation involves assessing the adverse health effects. It is important to identify the specific factors of the food, pathogen and person infected as these influence the pathogenicity, in terms of frequency, duration and severity of symptoms. Accordingly, for each population infected by a given microorganism, there is a link between the exposure level and the probability of developing a defined disease. - Risk characterisation is the final stage, which integrates the information collected at the previous stages. The risk can be defined by the probability of the adverse health effect surviving (specific disease, death, hospitalisation, etc.) after exposure to the contaminated food. It can also be expressed as the number of cases of a specific disease or deaths, per unit of time and per number of people within the population concerned, attribuable to a specific food/pathogen couple.
the Agency is involved at every level of this process. In response to the risks identified, it recommends measures to the State (risk manager) for protecting the population. The work it carries out also helps to identify existing research needs for perfecting scientific risk evaluation.
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