Editorial: The European Food Risk Assessment Fellowship Programme (EU-FORA)
Bronzwaer, S., Le Gourierec, N., & Koulouris, S. (2016). Editorial: The European Food Risk Assessment Fellowship Programme (EU-FORA). EFSA Journal, 14(11).
Scientific reports of the Fellows
Published in special issues of the EFSA Journal
2020
Oakenful R; Thomas C; Tsouli C; Adkin A
Integration of tools and social science into food safety risk assessments Journal Article
In: EFSA Journal, vol. 18, no. S1, pp. e181104, 2020.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Exposure assessment, norovirus in lettuce, risk assessment, risk perception
@article{https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.e181104,
title = {Integration of tools and social science into food safety risk assessments},
author = {R Oakenful and C Thomas and C Tsouli and A Adkin},
url = {https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.e181104},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.e181104},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-01},
journal = {EFSA Journal},
volume = {18},
number = {S1},
pages = {e181104},
abstract = {Abstract The European Food Risk Assessment (EU-FORA) Fellowship work programme ‘Integration of tools and social science into food safety risk assessments’ was proposed and delivered by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), UK. The Food Standards Agency is a non-ministerial government department of the UK, responsible for protecting public health in relation to food in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The programme was tailored to several different activities to provide an overview of the different tools that can be employed in food safety risk assessment also accounting for the interaction between risk assessment and social science. In order to structure the proposed work, the programme was split into four modules to run over the 12-month period of ‘learning-by-doing’. In the first module, the fellow was introduced to Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA), in the second to Chemical Risk Assessment (CRA), in the third to Social Science, and finally, in the fourth to the Risk Prioritization Tools and Networks in UK - National Dietary Data (NDNS), collection methodology, coding and analysis. The fellow was assigned to the Risk Assessment Unit within the Science, Evidence and Research Department which brings together specialist expertise from Microbiological, Chemical Risk Assessment, and Analytics Units, under one department together with additional staff from the food allergy and radiological risk assessment fields. The aim was to be fully integrated in the organisation's work gaining first-hand experience, increase knowledge of scientific aspects relevant to food safety risk assessment, and more importantly, to enhance network connection activities in the EU food risk assessment environment.},
keywords = {Exposure assessment, norovirus in lettuce, risk assessment, risk perception},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Abstract The European Food Risk Assessment (EU-FORA) Fellowship work programme ‘Integration of tools and social science into food safety risk assessments’ was proposed and delivered by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), UK. The Food Standards Agency is a non-ministerial government department of the UK, responsible for protecting public health in relation to food in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The programme was tailored to several different activities to provide an overview of the different tools that can be employed in food safety risk assessment also accounting for the interaction between risk assessment and social science. In order to structure the proposed work, the programme was split into four modules to run over the 12-month period of ‘learning-by-doing’. In the first module, the fellow was introduced to Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA), in the second to Chemical Risk Assessment (CRA), in the third to Social Science, and finally, in the fourth to the Risk Prioritization Tools and Networks in UK – National Dietary Data (NDNS), collection methodology, coding and analysis. The fellow was assigned to the Risk Assessment Unit within the Science, Evidence and Research Department which brings together specialist expertise from Microbiological, Chemical Risk Assessment, and Analytics Units, under one department together with additional staff from the food allergy and radiological risk assessment fields. The aim was to be fully integrated in the organisation’s work gaining first-hand experience, increase knowledge of scientific aspects relevant to food safety risk assessment, and more importantly, to enhance network connection activities in the EU food risk assessment environment.
2019
Anastasi E; Riviere G; Teste B
Nanomaterials in Food – Prioritisation & Assessment Journal Article
In: EFSA Journal, vol. 17, no. S2, pp. e170909, 2019.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Exposure assessment, food additives, nanomaterials, occurrence data, risk assessment
@article{https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2019.e170909,
title = {Nanomaterials in Food – Prioritisation & Assessment},
author = {Eleni Anastasi and Gilles Riviere and Bruno Teste},
url = {https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2903/j.efsa.2019.e170909},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2019.e170909},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-01-01},
journal = {EFSA Journal},
volume = {17},
number = {S2},
pages = {e170909},
abstract = {Abstract Nanomaterials (NMs) are of significant economic interest and have a huge impact on many industries including the food industry. The main application in food industry includes food additives and food packaging. However, the effects of NMs on human health are highly discussed, as well as the need of harmonised analytical methods and risk assessment methodologies. In line with these discussions, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) has started in 2017 a 2-year project focusing on NMs in food, to which the fellow was involved under the framework of the European Food Risk Assessment Fellowship Programme (EU-FORA). This technical report contains a description of the working program, the aims and the activities to which the fellow was involved during this placement. The main aims of the programme were to be involved in different steps of risk assessment process, to improve knowledge regarding food process, analytical and toxicological methods and to learn how to conduct expert assessments. All aims were linked with different kind of activities. Gaining hands-on experience on food risk assessment was achieved mainly by collecting occurrence data and performing exposure assessment calculations for the ‘of concern’ NMs, while scheduled visits to laboratories specialising in analytical methods of nanoparticles and toxicological studies helped to improve knowledge in these fields. Regular participation in the Working Group (GT) related to NMs in food and interaction with experts within ANSES facilitated the learning process of how to conduct collective expertise as well as to be further trained in risk assessment processes. Furthermore, apart from knowledge gained in risk assessment and NMs, the fellow was able to obtain transferable skills and knowledge that can be used to increase the scientific capacity of the fellow's home institute as well as to expand her scientific network, which could lead to collaboration opportunities in the future well beyond this fellowship.},
keywords = {Exposure assessment, food additives, nanomaterials, occurrence data, risk assessment},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Abstract Nanomaterials (NMs) are of significant economic interest and have a huge impact on many industries including the food industry. The main application in food industry includes food additives and food packaging. However, the effects of NMs on human health are highly discussed, as well as the need of harmonised analytical methods and risk assessment methodologies. In line with these discussions, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) has started in 2017 a 2-year project focusing on NMs in food, to which the fellow was involved under the framework of the European Food Risk Assessment Fellowship Programme (EU-FORA). This technical report contains a description of the working program, the aims and the activities to which the fellow was involved during this placement. The main aims of the programme were to be involved in different steps of risk assessment process, to improve knowledge regarding food process, analytical and toxicological methods and to learn how to conduct expert assessments. All aims were linked with different kind of activities. Gaining hands-on experience on food risk assessment was achieved mainly by collecting occurrence data and performing exposure assessment calculations for the ‘of concern’ NMs, while scheduled visits to laboratories specialising in analytical methods of nanoparticles and toxicological studies helped to improve knowledge in these fields. Regular participation in the Working Group (GT) related to NMs in food and interaction with experts within ANSES facilitated the learning process of how to conduct collective expertise as well as to be further trained in risk assessment processes. Furthermore, apart from knowledge gained in risk assessment and NMs, the fellow was able to obtain transferable skills and knowledge that can be used to increase the scientific capacity of the fellow’s home institute as well as to expand her scientific network, which could lead to collaboration opportunities in the future well beyond this fellowship.
2018
Pesciaroli M; Chardon J; Evers E
Modelling of inactivation through heating for quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA) Journal Article
In: EFSA Journal, vol. 16, no. S1, pp. e16089, 2018.
Abstract | Links | Tags: D/z model, Exposure assessment, heating, home preparation, inactivation, meat, QMRA
@article{https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2018.e16089,
title = {Modelling of inactivation through heating for quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA)},
author = {M Pesciaroli and JE Chardon and EG Evers},
url = {https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2903/j.efsa.2018.e16089},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2018.e16089},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
journal = {EFSA Journal},
volume = {16},
number = {S1},
pages = {e16089},
abstract = {Abstract EFSA regards the household as a stage in the food chain that is important for the final number of food-borne infections. The fate of a pathogen in the private kitchen largely depends on consumer hygiene during preparation of food and on its proper cooking, especially in the case of meat. Unfortunately, detailed information on the microbiological survival in meat products after heating in the consumer kitchen is lacking. The aim of the study was to improve the estimation of the inactivating effect on pathogens by heating meat or a meat product by the consumer in the kitchen. On that account, artificially contaminated meat and meat products were cooked according to several degrees of doneness and simulating real world conditions, and bacterial survival was measured. Heat camera pictures and button temperature loggers inserted into the food matrix served to record time and the temperature of heating. Temperature, time and the microbial survival ratio observed served to inform a mathematical model able to explain the thermal inactivation of meat or a meat product in home settings. The results of the study would help to improve microbiological comparative exposure assessments of pathogens in food, as an attribution tool and as a supportive tool for risk-based sampling in monitoring and surveillance.},
keywords = {D/z model, Exposure assessment, heating, home preparation, inactivation, meat, QMRA},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Abstract EFSA regards the household as a stage in the food chain that is important for the final number of food-borne infections. The fate of a pathogen in the private kitchen largely depends on consumer hygiene during preparation of food and on its proper cooking, especially in the case of meat. Unfortunately, detailed information on the microbiological survival in meat products after heating in the consumer kitchen is lacking. The aim of the study was to improve the estimation of the inactivating effect on pathogens by heating meat or a meat product by the consumer in the kitchen. On that account, artificially contaminated meat and meat products were cooked according to several degrees of doneness and simulating real world conditions, and bacterial survival was measured. Heat camera pictures and button temperature loggers inserted into the food matrix served to record time and the temperature of heating. Temperature, time and the microbial survival ratio observed served to inform a mathematical model able to explain the thermal inactivation of meat or a meat product in home settings. The results of the study would help to improve microbiological comparative exposure assessments of pathogens in food, as an attribution tool and as a supportive tool for risk-based sampling in monitoring and surveillance.