FACILITATING FOOD SAFETY DECISION MAKING
Task Force Information
Objectives
Food chains are evolving under the pressure of climate change and other global transformations. Decision-making in such a context cannot be based on excessive precautionary measures, currently hard-wired in risk assessment methods.
This Task Force will challenge established norms in risk analysis by uniting risk assessment and risk communication disciplines. Expert Groups will focus on designing effective risk assessment methods, and deepening the understanding of how food safety professionals perceive, understand and accept risk assessments.
Task Force Members
| Neil Buck | Corporate Toxicologist | General Mills | CH |
| Keng Ngee Teoh | Manager, Quality Assurance and Regulatory Science | Ajinomoto Europe | FR |
| Evangelia Mavromichali | Senior Manager Regulatory Affairs | Abbott Nutrition | BE |
Contact Information
For more detailed information, please contact Ruchi Shah at rshah@ilsieurope.be
Activity Overview
Ongoing
- Case Studies of Food Safety Incidents:
The practice of food safety risk analysis has evolved over time, it is helpful to review its application to identify successes, challenges and opportunities for improvement. Food safety incidents are when there is a safety-related concern with a food that is at the consumer market. The evolution and management of such incidents may be a useful lens through which to examine contemporary practices in Risk Analysis.
Start: June 2025 - End: Sept 2026
Expert Groups
The use of Case Studies of Food Safety Incidents to Explore how Risk Analysis is Applied within the EU
Background and Objectives
Case studies will be selected to be representative of different situations, for example when there was non-compliance with existing regulatory provisions such as with ethylene oxide residues in various ingredients, fipronil residues in eggs, or where there have been emerging food safety concerns such as microplastics in foods, or other case studies such as titanium oxide, bisphenol A in food contact materials, folic acid fortification, and food dyes.
To get a wider stakeholder perspective on these cases and incidents, the expert group will host case focused virtual roundtable discussions that will focus on Why - What - How of risk assessment, risk management and risk communication.
Output
The activity will result in the publication of a narrative review evaluating the implementation of risk analysis during past food safety incidents in Europe, including subsequent regulatory developments. The review will focus on the logic of risk-based decision-making, how benefit to consumers and wider society was achieved, and where there may be opportunities for further developing the approach to risk analysis.
Expert Group Members
| Alie De Boer - Chair | Maastricht University | NL |
| Hans Verhagen | Food Safety and Nutrition Consultancy | NL |
| Alan Boobis | Imperial College London | UK |
| Lynn Frewer | Newscastle University | UK |
| Neil Buck | General Mills | CH |
| Evangelia Mavromichali | Abbott Nutrition | BE |
| Keng Ngee Teoh | Ajinomoto | FR |
| Andy Jin | University of Porthsmouth | UK |
Publications
Coming soon...
Multimedia
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