RBA4FSA – Risk-Benefit Assessment for Food Safety Agencies

Context:

Food risk-benefit assessment (RBA) is now a recognized and well-established approach that integrates scientific knowledge in nutrition, toxicology, microbiology, and human epidemiology, but it remains rarely used.

Objectives:

This program is designed to teach the different steps of food RBA and the specificities related to risk assessment in nutrition, microbiology, and toxicology, (ii) analyze the current needs and limitations of applying RBA in food safety agencies, (iii) identify relevant data available for conducting an RBA (e.g., the EU menu, food composition databases, etc.), (iv) apply RBA methods to a specific case study, and (v) propose strategies to facilitate the implementation of RBA in food safety agencies.

The work program aims to train a collaborator to perform RBA analyses in the context of a food safety agency. Five objectives are pursued:

Mastering the different stages of RBA and the specificities related to nutrition, microbiology, and toxicology;

• Identifying the current needs and limitations of its application in agencies;
• Locating available databases and resources;
• Applying the method to a concrete case study;
• Proposing strategies to facilitate its implementation.

This project is of particular interest to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which conducts in-depth assessments in the relevant areas and has published guidelines on RBA (2006, 2010, under review). EFSA also plays a central role in collecting the data needed for RBAs.

The program run by Secalim, over a five-month period in person, will be adapted to the Croatian context, in line with the needs of the Croatian food safety agency. International collaborations via the RBA network are planned.

The training will include individualized support from Dr. Boué, a recognized expert in RBA, as well as participation in international working groups, notably at the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI). The Croatian collaborator will also participate in regular scientific meetings and will be able to contribute to scientific communications (international conferences and publications).

At the end of the program, she will have acquired autonomy in applying RBA methods, a comprehensive understanding of the risk assessment process, and practical expertise in exposure assessment, health impact quantification (including DALY calculation), uncertainty analysis, and quantitative and stochastic methods.

Start date: September 2024

Duration: 1 year

Partner: Martina Pavlic, Croatian Agency for Health Safety

Coordination: Géraldine Boué, assistant-professor at SECALIM

Funding: EFSA