Risk Assessment for Microbial Hazards:
An Introduction and Case Studies in Food, Water, Animal and Plant Health

 

 

Synopsis

Format

Agenda

Presenters

Who should attend?

Registration

Venue

More Information

 

 

Synopsis

 

The adoption of risk assessment as a decision-support tool continues to increase around the world.  An area of noticeable growth in the implementation of risk assessment tools is to tackle public and animal health issues, and related international trade matters. This full day workshop will introduce participants to the principles, application and interpretation of risk assessment in the microbial (both food and water issues), antimicrobial, animal and plant health domains. 

 

The workshop will consist of two sessions.  In the morning, participants will gain a basis for an improved understanding of what risk assessment entails, and how to read and interpret the results through a series of lectures.  Topics covered will include the following key areas:

 

§               an introduction to the terminology, concepts, tools and techniques used in risk assessment

§               an overview of key methods to develop qualitative and quantitative risk assessments

§               the basic principles of quantitative risk assessment and Monte-Carlo simulation and the alternatives, including the concept of uncertainty

 

The afternoon will consist of presentations from both national and international speakers invited to present and discuss examples of risk assessments across a variety of applications.  Speakers will specifically address risk assessments developed for microbial food-related, microbial water-related, antimicrobial, animal health and plant health issues, presenting an overview of the approach taken, key findings and lessons learned.  This is one of the first times that the spectrum of microbial applications of risk assessment has been discussed in a single meeting.  These presentations will provide participants with an appreciation for risk assessment in practice, and the diversity of microbial applications utilized in supporting disease control and international trade related decisions around the world.

 

 

Format

 

The workshop will be 1 full day.  The workshop will consist of two parts, first, in the morning, there will be lectures providing an introduction to risk assessment and an overview of risk assessment methods.  Secondly, in the afternoon, speakers will be invited to present a series of case studies in risk assessment, covering microbial (both food and water), animal health, antimicrobial and plant health applications.  This workshop is unique in that it is one of the first workshops to bring together a series of case studies spanning the diverse applications of risk assessment to microbial hazards.

 

Agenda

 

Start

Content

Presenter

9:00

Welcome and Introduction

 

9:15

Introduction to risk assessment principles and methods for microbial hazards

E Hartnett

10:45

Break

 

11:00

The principles of quantitative risk assessment and Monte-Carlo simulation (and alternatives)

G Paoli

12:30

Lunch

 

13:30

Case study 1 – microbial food risk assessment

D Schaffner

14:00

Case study 2 - animal health risk assessment

E Hartnett

14:30

Case study 3 - antimicrobial risk assessment

A Hill

15:00

Break

 

15:15

Case study 4 - plant health risk assessment

M Powell

15:45

Case study 5 – microbial water risk assessment

To be announced

16:15

General discussion

 

17:00

Close

 

 

 

Presenters

 

E Hartnett Ph.D.

Emma Hartnett is a risk analyst at Decisionalysis Risk Consultants and specializes in risk analysis for the microbial and animal health spheres.  With a PhD in statistics and modeling science, a Bachelor’s Degree in microbiology, Dr Hartnett has experience working in food safety and animal health risk analysis, including previous employment at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA), UK.  Providing risk consultancy to a variety of organizations including Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (UK), Food Standards Agency, European Union, and the pharmaceutical industry her experience includes both food-related pathogens (e.g. campylobacter and antimicrobial resistance), and exotic animal diseases (e.g. foot-and-mouth disease and classical swine fever).  Dr Hartnett is engaged in World Health Organization and Food and Agricultural Organization initiatives in microbial risk assessment, including establishment of international guidelines for risk analysis, and provides training services to member countries and other national and international organizations.

 

G Paoli M.A.Sc,

Greg Paoli has experience in diverse risk management domains such as food and water safety, animal and plant health, climate change, air quality, transportation safety, hazardous waste management, business continuity planning and emergency management as well as comparative risk assessment and priority-setting across diverse hazards and outcomes.

 

Greg holds a Master’s Degree in Systems Design Engineering and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering.  As a member of the Society for Risk Analysis he recently served as Chair of the Society’s Food and Water Risk Specialty Group. Greg recently served on a panel of the National Academy of Sciences (Institute of Medicine) and has served on several expert panels convened by the World Health Organization, and the Institute of Food Technologists. In 2002, he was invited to give the opening lecture at the 1st International Conference on Microbiological Risk Assessment.

 

D Schaffner Ph.D

Don Schaffner’s  research interests include quantitative microbial risk assessment and predictive food microbiology.  Dr. Schaffner has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and abstracts.  He has educated thousands of Food Industry professionals through numerous short courses and workshops in the United States and more than a dozen countries around the world. 

 

Dr. Schaffner was recently a member of a US National Academy of Sciences expert committee reviewing the use of scientific criteria and performance standards for safe food.  He has chaired two World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization expert workshops on the development of exposure assessment and risk characterization guidelines for microbiological hazards in food in 2001 and 2003.  He was most recently been a member of a FAO/WHO sponsored consultative process on a review of the provision of scientific advice to FAO/WHO, and another FAO/WHO sponsored meeting to consider guidelines for qualitative risk assessment.  He is currently a member of Institute of Food Technologists Expert Panel developing a quantitative risk ranking framework for the Food and Drug Administration. 

 

Dr. Schaffner is active in several scientific associations including the International Association for Food Protection, the Institute of Food Technologists, the Society for Risk Analysis, and the American Society for Microbiology.  He holds a B.S. in Food Science from Cornell University and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from the University of Georgia.

 

M Powell

Mark Powell is a Risk Scientist with the USDA Office of Risk Assessment and Cost Benefit Analysis. Prior to coming to ORACBA, Mark was leader of the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service E. coli O157:H7 risk assessment team. Dr. Powell was formerly a Fellow at the Resources for the Future Center for Risk Management, where he conducted research on the acquisition and use of science for regulatory decision-making in the environmental and sanitary and phytosanitary arenas. He also worked previously at the US Agency for International Development.

Some relevant publications:

- Powell, M. 2003. Modeling the Response of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly

(Diptera:Tephritidae) to Cold Treatment. Journal of Economic Entomology.

96(2): 300-310.

- Powell, M. 2002. A Model for Probabilistic Assessment of Phytosanitary Risk Reduction Measures. Plant Disease. 86(5): 552-557.

 

A Hill B.Sc

Andrew Hill is a risk analyst in the Centre of Epidemiology and Risk Analysis at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) in the UK.  He is a specialist in developing quantitative risk assessments with experience in a number of areas, but a focus on food safety.  He is the principal modeler for a high profile, three-year quantitative risk assessment in the area of antimicrobial resistance, specifically exploring quinolone-resistance in campylobacter, funded by the UK Food Standards Agency.

 

 

Who should attend?

 

The audience is anyone interested in gaining a basic understanding of the application of  risk assessment in microbial (both food and water issues), animal health, antimicrobial and plant health applications, and may include government assessment and research scientists, regulatory and policy analysis staff, academic researchers, lawyers, public health scientists, economists, food company and food service managers and scientists, risk analysts, pharmaceutical company and association staff, and representatives of international bodies managing these risks.

 

Registration

The registration fee is $295 before 10 November, or $355 on site. You do not need to register for the Annual Meeting to attend the workshop. Registration will be handled by

Secretariat sra@burkinc.com
Society for Risk Analysis www.sra.org
1313 Dolley
Madison Boulevard, Suite 402
McLean, Virginia 22101 USA
703-790-1745, fax 703-790-2672



Venue

The event will be held 9:00am - 5:30pm on Sunday, 5 December 2004, at

Wyndham Hotel & Resort
888 Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs, California 92262

760-322-6000 (reservations)

The room for the event has not yet been determined; check with the hotel concierge. To reserve a room at the hotel, call 760-322-6000 before 4 November 2004. Be sure to identify yourself as a SRA Annual Meeting attendee to receive the SRA group rate of $129 per night (single or double occupancy) plus 13.55% tax. There is also an $8 per day resort fee which includes parking and local calls and an 89 cent Palm Springs utility tax. Cancellations must be made at least 72 hours in advance. See a description of the hotel at http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/PSPPS/main.wnt.


For More Information

For more information please contact Emma Hartnett ehartnett@AnalyzeRisk.com.