Joint IAFP/SRA Webinar Series on Foodborne Risk Analysis
Register today for the May 9th webinar, the first in a series jointly sponsored by the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) and the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA). The series topic is 'Evidence for Updating Assessments of Listeriosis Risks Considering Codex Principles'.
For the first webinar, moderators are a Past-President of SRA in decision analysis,
D. Warner North, and a Past-President of IAFP in food microbiology, Isabel Walls. Medical microbiologist Peg Coleman will present on Deliberating Evidence for Milkborne Risk Analysis based largely on three recently published peer-reviewed studies:
The Webinar Series learning objectives appended are structured around deliberating evidence for conducting microbial risk assessments for foods. Webinar 1 will offer evidence on a series of topics with polls to encourage active audience engagement in deliberating evidence for assessing milkborne risks.
Register for the May 9th webinar (2-3 pm Eastern) here.
The webinars series will continue in June with presentations by Tom Ross, a Fellow of both the Australian Society for Microbiology and the Australian Institute for Food Science and Technology, and Steven Duret, an engineer and predictive microbiologist at the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment (INRAE). Sarah Cahill, microbiologist and food safety officer with the Food and Agriculture Organization, will join as moderator.
Webinar Series Abstract
Few risk analysis practitioners might argue that any food is risk-free. Even fewer might know that US government Agencies classified both raw and pasteurized bovine milks, as well as deli meats, as high risk for severe listeriosis in 2003. Scientific advances characterizing raw foods microbiology, particularly benefits and risks of the milk microbiota, motivates further consideration of the Codex Alimentarius Commission international consensus principles for microbial risk assessment, calling for re-assessments over time and re-evaluation as new relevant scientific data become available. Speakers will introduce recent scientific advances that provide new lines of evidence and wider context for assessing risks of raw and ready to eat foods. The webinar series will address critical needs for deliberation of scientific evidence and analysis in light of misinformation or disinformation about risks and benefits. Participants will develop essential skills for deliberating evidence and assumptions, reducing bias and misinformation, and cultivating a culture of quality risk analysis and food safety.
Webinar 1 Abstract
This first webinar in the series will offer evidence and assumptions on Exposure Assessment, Dose-Response Assessment, Risk Characterization, and Risk Management from a 2003 report on estimation of relative risks of severe listeriosis for 23 ready-to-eat foods including raw and pasteurized fluid milks. Evidence from subsequent studies on these topics plus Hazard Identification will be presented. Webinar participants will be invited to deliberate the evidence relative to Codex principles: 1) the need for re-assessment in light of subsequent epidemiologic data on foodborne disease (CDC dataset, 2005-2020); and 2) the need for re-evaluation based on advances in scientific knowledge. Questions raised in a recent publication on retrospective application of the SRA Risk Analysis Quality Test (RAQT) to the listeriosis risk assessment will be considered. In closing, questions about the available evidence relating to the emerging pathogen influenza A in dairy cows in the US will be considered alongside risk communications messages.
General Learning Objectives:
1. Expand knowledge and skills for deliberating evidence for conducting microbial risk assessment for raw/ready-to-eat foods including fluid milks and deli meats.
2. Gain knowledge of risk analysis quality for raw/ready-to-eat foods.
3. Increase understanding of potential sources of bias, misinformation, and disinformation about science and risk analysis for raw/ready-to-eat foods.