A planning committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will organize a public workshop to explore the state of the science around hazard- and risk-based approaches to safeguarding both domestic and global food systems. The workshop will feature invited presentations and discussions that explore ways of identifying and defining hazards (biological, chemical, and allergenic) and assessing, managing, and communicating risk. The workshop will also explore the challenges of using risk-benefit analysis to inform public health decision-making and communication about food safety – including data quality and gaps in the evidence base and opportunities to improve hazard analysis and risk assessment. Consideration will be given to the impact on specific population groups, including variations in hazard exposure and risk based on factors such as location and demographics. Presenters will also address how regulators, public health experts, health care providers, industry, and consumers inform science-based risk management decisions. The discussions aim to explore opportunities to advance food safety by strengthening hazard identification and reporting, risk assessment, management, and risk communication.
The planning committee will define the specific topics to be addressed, develop the workshop agenda, and select and invite speakers and discussants. A proceedings of a workshop–in brief and full proceedings of the presentations and discussions at the workshop will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines.