This FAO/WHO handbook on risk communication was developed to support national food safety authorities and food chain stakeholders in establishing or enhancing risk communication practice and capacity on food safety. It further targets agriculture/agrifood and public health institutions, which frequently share governmental responsibility for food safety at the country and/or regional level. This handbook focuses on practical principles and best practices of risk communication to support risk management of adverse food safety events associated with biological, chemical or physical hazards. It addresses the use of risk communication in the process of risk analysis to manage both food safety emergencies as well as recurring food safety issues such as health promotion campaigns. Many aspects are applicable to effective risk communication in support of feed safety, animal health and zoonotic disease management.

Around the world, food has probably never been as safe as it is today. However, periodic crises have aroused consumer anxiety and contributed to a general lack of confidence in the agro-industrial system. The diverse nature of these crises increases governments’ and industry difficulties in predicting and tackling them. This book addresses the relations between risk and food theoretically and empirically through case studies from Japan and China. Part I of the book examines the interaction between theoretical aspects and decision-making. The book theorizes the links between food and risk and analyses the decision-making process in light of risks and governance. The relationship between food risks, governance systems and economic decisions is assessed to explore ideas such as the "pact of nutrition" and the theory of weak signals. Part II examines case studies from China and Japan in the aftermaths of recent crises such as the milk powder scandal in China and food safety following the Fukushima nuclear accident and tsunami in Japan. This book will be an important resource for scholars, academics and policy-makers in the fields of sociology, economics, food studies, Chinese studies and Japanese studies and theories of risks and safety.

This book provides a broad overview of the chemicals in food that have the potential to induce adverse health effects. Nutritional Toxicology is an interaction of nutrition, toxicology, biochemistry and food science, etc. Its main research scope involves the effects of nutrients on metabolisms of toxicants and their mechanisms, the interaction of the toxicants and contaminants originated from diet with nutrients and nutrition process, the adverse health outcome of nutrients excess, as well as methodology of research and related food and nutrition regulation process. Also the risk assessment of toxicants and contaminants in foods, and risk benefit assessment of nutrients (dietary supplementation) has become an emerging topic. This book provides novel and provocative insights into the fields of nutrition, food science and toxicology. It also offers a state-of-the-art report on recent discoveries concerning nutritional toxicology and where the field is going. It mainly focuses on advances made over the past 20 years. It will benefit graduate students, researchers and food and nutrition related regulation parties.

This document provides guidance on undertaking risk assessment of all microbial hazards which may adversely affect human health in foods along a food chain. This document is also intended to provide practical guidance on a structured framework for carrying out risk assessment of microbiological hazards in foods, focussing on the four components including hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure assessment and risk characterization. These guidelines therefore represent the best practice at the time of their preparation, and it is hoped that they will help stimulate further developments and disseminate the current knowledge.

Handbook of Hygiene Control in the Food Industry, Second Edition, continues to be an authoritative reference for anyone who needs hands-on practical information to improve best practices in food safety and quality. The book is written by leaders in the field who understand the complex issues of control surrounding food industry design, operations, and processes, contamination management methods, route analysis processing, allergenic residues, pest management, and more. Professionals and students will find a comprehensive account of risk analysis and management solutions they can use to minimize risks and hazards plus tactics and best practices for creating a safe food supply, farm to fork. - Presents the latest research and development in the field of hygiene, offering a broad range of the microbiological risks associated with food processing - Provides practical hygiene related solutions in food facilities to minimize foodborne pathogens and decrease the occurrence of foodborne disease - Includes the latest information on biofilm formation and detection for prevention and control of pathogens as well as pathogen resistance

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) aims to secure coordinated, effective action to prevent and to control the introduction and spread of pests of plants and plant products. This is achieved through the development and implementation of phytosanitary policies and activities. At a country scale, such activities are the responsibility of the national plant protection organization (NPPO), which is the official service established by a government to discharge the functions specified by the IPPC. While an NPPO has responsibility for phytosanitary actions, it cannot operate in isolation and relies on engagement with other government bodies, the private sector and civil society to protect plant health.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines PM as a mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets comprising a number of components, including "acids (such as nitrates and sulfates), organic chemicals, metals, soil or dust particles, and allergens (such as fragments of pollen and mold spores)". The health effects of outdoor exposure to particulate matter (PM) are the subject of both research attention and regulatory action. Although much less studied to date, indoor exposure to PM is gaining attention as a potential source of adverse health effects. Indoor PM can originate from outdoor particles and also from various indoor sources, including heating, cooking, and smoking. Levels of indoor PM have the potential to exceed outdoor PM levels. Understanding the major features and subtleties of indoor exposures to particles of outdoor origin can improve our understanding of the exposureâ€"response relationship on which ambient air pollutant standards are based. The EPA's Indoor Environments Division commissioned the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to hold a workshop examining the issue of indoor exposure to PM more comprehensively and considering both the health risks and possible intervention strategies. Participants discussed the ailments that are most affected by particulate matter and the attributes of the exposures that are of greatest concern, exposure modifiers, vulnerable populations, exposure assessment, risk management, and gaps in the science. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Worldwide, food safety incidents can have a significant impact on public health, economies, agrifood trade, food security, and public confidence in the food supply. The prevention, mitigation, and management of food safety incidents globally can be enhanced through more effective early warning systems for food safety. Early warning systems help countries to better anticipate food safety threats and respond quicker through appropriate risk management actions. This publication provides a resource for countries to enhance their early warning capabilities and capacities. It emphasizes the need to build and connect links between existing food safety infrastructure (e.g. surveillance and food control) and to improve collaborative relationships among all of the different food chain stakeholders in order to protect public health and the food supply.

Lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) and ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) are used to prevent and treat malnutrition in children. [Author] They are often produced in regions experiencing food insecurity and include edible oils obtained from oleaginous seeds or fruits that must be refined to remove undesirable substances and ensure adequate shelf-life for the product. [Author] However, the formation of the heat-induced contaminants 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) fatty acid esters and glycidyl fatty acid esters (GEs) may occur during the refining process of edible oils. [Author] 3-MCPD and its fatty acid esters are present in many other foodstuffs and most of the total lifetime exposure is attributed to foods other than LNS/RUTF. [Author] While the only Codex standard developed for 3-MCPD is for liquid condiments containing acid hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, no Codex standards are available for GEs. [Author] This publication provides an overview of risk assessments for 3-MCPD and GEs previously performed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and other authorities, based on chronic exposure. [Author] The use of LNS/RUTF is intended to be of finite duration and confined to a specific life stage. [Author] The aim of this report was to provide an assessment to characterize the risk of less-than-lifetime exposure to 3-MCPD (including 3-MCPD fatty acid esters) and GEs via LNS/RUTF in the context of limited food availability. [Author] The thresholds identified herein for concentrations of 3-MCPD and glycidol equivalents in LNS/RUTF products are considered to represent a level of exposure that is of low concern for human health. [Author]

Agrifood systems require sustained growth to maintain food security for the global population, while facing unprecedented pressure from challenges of climate change and resource depletion. In this context, evaluating, holistically planning and transitioning to circularity will be critical to improve sustainability and face those challenges. While circular economy initiatives offer considerable promise in improving sustainability and increasing performance, these benefits are juxtaposed by the increasing evidence that contaminants, physical, microbiological or chemical, can get introduced, persist and potentially lead to unsafe food. Therefore, protecting food safety is key for the success of transitioning our current linear agrifood system to a more sustainable and circular one. This report provides a synthesis of current and emerging evidence of food safety risks in circular agrifood initiatives, with an aim to understand challenges and opportunities to manage and enhance food safety. Food safety has to be an equal performance indicator for any transition, requiring addressing data gaps, focusing research efforts and exploring opportunities for improving food safety outcomes. All parties in the agrifood system need to proactively do their part to ensure agrifood systems develop, by harnessing the innovation in this area, and at the same time produce safe food.