FOOD HAZARDS AND

HUMAN HEALTH
RISK ASSESSMENTS
Food Technology Department
School of Biotechnology
International University
Instructor: Nguyễn Vũ Hồng Hà – Ph.D
 Outline

- Food safety.
- Food risk analysis
- Food hazards and human health risk assessments.
 Food safety

1. Safety from known (chemical or biological) substances that

lead to known (or unknown) illness or death (botulism, pesticides,
cholera).

2. Safety from long-term chronic diseases related to quality of diets

(diabetes, heart disease).

3. Safety from deliberate contamination anywhere along the supply

chain of an otherwise safe food supply (bio or chemical terrorism)
 Definitions

Hazard a biological, chemical or physical agent with the

potential to cause an adverse health effect
(e.g. Salmonella could be in food and it could
make someone ill).

Risk the likelihood of an adverse event

(e.g. a consumer gets food-borne illness)
and the severity of that event.

Risk managers: make decisions about food-safety policy.

Risk assessors: provide information risk managers need to make

science-based policy decisions.
 Definitions
Risk Analysis: is the systematic evaluation of the risks arising
from hazards in food, including risk assessment, management
and communication and normally a clear statement as to
whether an attribute of the food safety and to what degree it
represents a food safety risk.

Hazard Analysis: is frequently based on qualitative observations

and qualitative evaluation of information relating to food
processing and handling operations.

HACCP: (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) is the

systematic preventative approach to food safety. It is a risk
management option
 Food risk analysis
RISK ASSESSMENT – a process to scientifically evaluate the
probability of occurrence and severity of known or potential adverse
health effect resulting from human exposure to foodborne hazards

RISK MANAGEMENT– a process to weigh policy alternative in

light of the results of risk assessment and, if required, to select and
implement appropriate control option

RISK COMMUNICATION – a process to exchange information

and opinions interactively among risk assessors, risk managers and
other interested parties
 Food risk analysis framework

RISK ASSESSMENT
-Hazard identification
-Hazard characterization
-Exposure assessment
-Risk characterization

RISK COMMUNICATION RISK MANAGEMENT

Interactive exchanges of - Evaluation of control
option and information options.
regarding risks - Selection and implementation
of selected option
Food risk analysis
 A four-step food risk assessment
framework
1. Hazard identification
2. Hazard characterization
3. Exposure assessment
4. Risk characterization
Illustration of how food safety control at a country level can link into Food Safety
Management at the operation level through a Food Safety Objective set by a
governmental competent authority on the basic of a public health goal (ALOP:
Acceptable level of protection) established following the Risk Analysis framework
 Preliminary Risk Management Activities
- Identify problem
- Develop risk profile
- Rank hazard
- Establish risk
- Assessment policy
- Commission risk assessment
- Interpret results

Monitoring and
Evaluation
review FOOD RISK Management Options
- Review results MANAGEMENT - Identify possible options
- Assess success of - Select preferred options
measures taken

Implementation of Risk
Management Decision
- Adopt final management decision.
- Execute measure to best address
 General principles of food safety
risk management
 Principle 1: Risk management should follow a structured approach.
 Principle 2: Protection of human health should be the primary consideration in
risk management decisions.
 Principle 3: Risk management decisions and practices should be transparent.
 Principle 4: Determination of risk assessment policy should be included as a
specific component of risk management.
 Principle 5: Risk management should ensure the scientific integrity of the risk
assessment process by maintaining the functional separation of risk management and
risk assessment.
 Principle 6: Risk management decisions should take into account the uncertainty
in the output of the risk assessment
 Principle 7: Risk management should include clear, interactive communication
with consumers and other interested parties in all aspects of the process.
 Principle 8: Risk management should be a continuing process that takes into
account all newly generated data in the evaluation and review of risk management
decisions.
 Steps of food risk management
1. Evaluate the risk
2. Determine a course of action
3. Implement a plan
4. Monitor and review
5. Document all actions.
 Risk communication
 Risk communication is an interactive process of exchange of
information and opinion on risk among risk assessors, risk
managers, and other interested parties.

 Risk communication is an integral and ongoing part of the risk

analysis exercise, and ideally all stakeholder groups should be
involved from the start.

 The identification of particular interest groups and their

representatives should comprise a part of an overall risk
communication strategy.

 Decisions on risk communication, including what, whom and how,

should be part of an overall risk communication strategy.
 Obtaining food safety

Risk
management
(authorities)

Food safety
Scientific management
assessments
(individual
food
operators)
 Examples of science-based activities
 Implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems
 Establishment of acceptable daily intakes for chemical additives and residues of
pesticides and veterinary drugs in food
 Establishment of tolerable intakes for chemical contaminants, including natural
toxins
 Use of science to develop labels to warn consumers about potential risks
including food allergens
 Use of risk assessment to support food safety regulations
 Establishment of product safety standards, performance standards and
specifications for use in international trade
 Resolution of trade disputes based on the Agreement on the Application of
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the SPS Agreement)
 Establishment of dose-response relations for pathogenic micro-organisms
 Establishment of a Food Safety Objective to achieve an appropriate level of
protection (ALOP)
 An example of pesticide residue assessment
process
Identify pesticide residue of interest

Undertake toxicity studies of substance if needed

Determine the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL)

Determine a safety factor or uncertainty factor to extrapolates results from animals to humans

Calculate the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI)

Indentify a suitable index of residue levels to predict residue intake-usually the Maximum Residue
Limit (MRL)

Dietary intake of the residue is estimates (exposure assessment)

Compare exposure to ADI (when exposure exceeds ADI some sort of risk mitigation is required)
 Food safety practices

To keep food safe:

- Influence of government agencies
- Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)
- Consumer’s role
+ Clean
+ Separate
+ Cook
+ Chill
20
 Food safety practices

 Thaw food safely

 Good cutting board
 Cooking and refrigerating
 Preparing food ahead of time
 Reheating food
 Store food safely
 Washing dishes by hand
 Food safety practices
Food preservation
 Preservatives
+ Salt, sugar
+Antioxidants
 Other preservation
techniques
+ Salting
+ Fermenting
+ Drying
+ Canning
+ Heating (e.g.,
pasteurization) 22
 Conducting risk analysis
Preliminary step:
Assess all potential hazards that may have adverse effects on the
process applied, and in this way on safety and quality of the food
produced.

Prerequisites for team work:

 similar level of knowledge
 agreed terms and definitions
 agreed assessment criteria
 uniform course of action
 Objectives of risk analysis
 Food Safety
 Measures to ensure safety to health
 Prevention of adverse effects
 Better Quality
 Ensuring of consistently high quality
 Food safety measures
 Better Efficiency
 Identification of weak points
 Timely preventive intervention
 Reduced expenses
 Savings at preliminary steps
 Reduced risks leading to losses because of product rejection
 When to conduct a risk analysis
Hazards - When to identify
 Before introducing or commencing a work procedure, process or
system of work.
 If work procedures, processes or systems of work are already in place
then as soon as reasonably practicable given the nature of operations
 Before changes to work systems are introduced into the place of work
 Before hazardous substances are introduced into the place of work
 Before and during installation, erection, commissioning and alteration
of plant
 While work is being carried out
 When new or additional health and safety information from an
authoritative source becomes available.
 Risk analysis – The 5 Steps

1. Identifying Hazards
2. Assessing the Risk
3. Documenting
4. Controlling
5. Ongoing Monitoring
Step1- Identifying the hazard

+ People
+ Equipment
+ Materials
+ Environment
 Step1- Identifying the hazard
When looking for hazards consider:
 The systems of work comprising of: people, plant and
equipment, work methods and procedures, materials, and the work
environment;
 Suitability of tools, equipment, materials and systems for the task
 How people use the tools, equipment and materials;
 The experience of the persons performing the task or process or in
the vicinity of the task or process while it is being performed;
 If something goes wrong with any tools, equipment, materials or
work systems how will it affect employees and other people?;
 How employees and other people may be affected by hazards such
as noise, fumes or work processes etc;
 How employees and other people may be hurt by chemicals or
other damaging energies in the workplace.
 Step 2-Assessing the risk

The three components of risk:

 Step 2– Assessing the risk
An example of assessing the risk
How to use the risk assessment tool
 Determine how likely (frequency and duration) it is that the
identified hazard will occur.
 Determine how sever the injury/illness posed by the hazard would
be.
 If more than one hazard has been identified the PRIORITISE the
risks in order of the severity rating score from 1 to 6 where:
1 = Top Priority: Do something immediately
6 = Low Priority: Do something when possible.
Step 2– Assessing the risk
An example of assessing the risk
 Step 3– Documenting
 Why have to document hazards?
 Why you should keep a Hazard Register?
 Who may want to review the Hazard
Register?
 Step 3– Documenting

 State clearly what task/activity the risk assessment covers.

 Ensure that the hazards and controls are clearly listed.
 Consider all those people who could potentially be harmed.
 Ensure that an appropriate member of staff signs off the assessment.
 Make sure that the completed risk assessments are readily available to
those who might need them -Do not just file them away to gather dust!
 Step 3– Documenting
An example of a Hazard Register
 Step 4 – Controlling
 Elimination
Elimination of the hazard must always be the first priority.
Elimination may not always be possible, as there may not be a
reasonable and viable alternative.
 Change equipment or materials
1. Substituting safer equipment or materials for hazardous
equipment or materials.
2. Isolating the hazard or potential damaging energy by space, time
or the use of physical barriers.
 Change work methods
These are often referred to as 'administrative controls'.
For example, job rotation is a form of administrative control as it
reduces a person's exposure time to a particular hazard. Training is a
form of administrative control.
 Step 4 – What are the current
controls?
When trying to identify the current controls remember that they can be
broken down in 3 ways:
1. Physical controls (e.g. a metal fence around a construction site)
2. Procedural controls (e.g. a safe working procedure for the task)
3. Behavioural controls (e.g. adequate supervision and
monitoring of behaviour)
 Hierarchy of Hazard Control

1. Eliminate the hazard

2 .Substitute the hazard
3. Contain the hazard at source
4. Remove employee from hazard
5. Reduce exposure to hazard
6. SSW/SWP’s
7. Warning signals
8. PPE
9. Discipline
 Step 4 – Controlling
 Use personal protective equipment (PPE)
PPE is only useful when it is appropriate for the task, in good
condition, worn when required and worn correctly. Any failure to utilize
PPE correctly, exposes the person to the hazard.
In reality a combination of two or more of the above controls
may need to be considered when dealing with a potential hazard and its
associated potential damaging energy.

For example, when manual handling bulk products a combination of

substitution, administrative controls and personal protective equipment
may be considered the appropriate way to deal with the hazard:
1. substitute smaller packaging for bulky items;
2. supply training in appropriate manual handling techniques;
3. provide appropriate gloves for gripping the load and handling
the items.
 Step 5 – Ongoing Monitoring
Legislative requirement
Management and employees must consider
the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)
implications of all controls introduced that
cause changes to plant and equipment,
substances and materials and processes.
One way of demonstrating consideration is
to constantly monitor and review.
Remember you must document the review
of the risk analysis to demonstrate legal
compliance.
 Risk assessment legislation

 Risk assessments are required by law, implicitly in law such as

the Health and Safety at Work Act and more explicitly in
particular regulations, e.g.
 Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 1989
 Noise at Work 1989
 Manual Handling 1992
 Display Screen Equipment 1992
 Personal protective equipment 1992
 Step 5 – Ongoing Monitoring
Benefits

1. Measures the effectiveness of the risk controls.

2. Identifies any new hazards that may have been subsequently
introduced into the system of work.
3. Validates any new controls that may have been successfully
introduced into the system of work.
4. Documented monitoring and review systems provide formal evidence
of health and safety compliance.
5. Contributes to a safer place of work.
6. Involves those in the workplace in ongoing continual improvement.
 Step 5 – Ongoing Monitoring
 OHS Committees and Representatives
role

Monitoring and review is one of the OHS

Committee's/Representatives most important
functions.

Let your OHS committee know of your

successes as well as your issues. This helps
the OHS Committee to short-track the risk
analysis of similar hazards in other areas
 What is a food hazard?

 A food hazard is anything that can contaminate the food or cause

harm to the consumer. At its simplest, you should identify hazards
within your food business with the potential to cause harm to your
consumers (food hazards).

 Food hazards can be divided into 3 main groups, namely:

- Biological (e.g. harmful bacteria could be present in food)
- Chemical (e.g. cleaning chemicals contaminating food)
- Physical (e.g. glass or insects contaminating food)
 Food hazards in food processing
Step Hazard Action
High risk (ready to eat) foods
Buy from reputable supplier only.
contaminated with food
1. Purchase Specify maximum temperature at delivery.
poisoning bacteria or toxins
(poisons produced by bacteria).
High Risk (ready to eat) foods
2. Receipt of Check it looks, smells and feels right.
contaminated with food
food Check the temperature is right.
poisoning bacteria or toxins.
Growth of food poisoning High risk foods stored at safe temperatures.
bacteria, toxins on high risk Store them wrapped. Label high risk foods
3. Storage
(ready to eat) foods. Further with the correct 'sell by' date. Rotate stock
contamination. and use by recommended date.
Wash your hands before handling food.
Limit any exposure to room temperatures
Contamination of high risk
during preparation. Prepare with clean
4. Preparation (ready to eat) foods. Growth of
equipment, and use this for high risk (ready
food poisoning bacteria.
to eat) food only. Separate cooked foods
from raw foods.
 Food hazards in food processing
Step Hazard Action
Cook rolled joints, chicken, and reformed
meats, e.g burgers, so that the thickest part
Survival of food poisoning
5. Cooking reaches at least 75°C. Sear the outside of
bacteria.
other, solid meat cuts (e.g joints of beef,
steaks) before cooking.
Growth of any surviving
Cool foods as quickly as possible. Don't
spores or food poisoning
leave out at room temperatures to cool
bacteria. Production of
6. Cooling unless the cooling period is short, e.g place
poisons by bacteria.
any stews or rice etc, in shallow trays and
Contamination with food
cool to chill temperatures quickly.
poisoning bacteria.
Growth of food poisoning
7. Hot-
bacteria. Production of Keep food hot, at or above 63°C.
holding
poisons by bacteria.
Survival of food poisoning
8. Reheating Reheat to above 75°C.
bacteria.
 Food hazards in food processing
Step Hazard Action

Keep temperature at right level.

9. Chilled Growth of food
Label high risk ready to eat
storage poisoning bacteria.
foods with correct date code.
COLD SERVICE FOODS -
serve high risk foods as soon as
Growth of disease-
possible after removing from
causing bacteria.
refrigerated storage to avoid
10. Serving Production of poisons
them getting warm. HOT
by bacteria
FOODS - serve high risk foods
contamination.
quickly to avoid them cooling
down.
Factors distributing to food
poisoning

Source: NSW
 Characteristics of microbial and
chemical hazards
Microbial Hazard Chemical Hazard

•Usually acute and the result of a • Can be lifetime risk or acute

single exposure
• High degree of variability in both• Toxicology does not usually vary
the host and the pathogen greatly from person to person and the
toxicity of the chemical itself is invariant
• Continuously changing in quantity • Tend to be fixed in quantity and
and characteristics hazardous characteristics

• Non-homogenous presence in • Can be a homogenous presence (e.g.

foods (they tend to clump and be direct food additives), or heterogeneous
distributed non-uniformly (chemical contaminants)
throughout a food)
• Can enter the food chain at many • Usually enters the food at specific
points points (e.g. cleaning agent residues
 Risks in the food produce processing
Even Contamination source

Production and harvest

- Growing, picking, bundling Irrigation water, manure, poor
field sanitation
Initial Processing
- Washing, waxing, sorting, Wash water handling
packaging

Distribution
- Transportation Ice, dusty trucks

Final Processing
- Slicing, squeezing, shredding, Washing water, handling, cross-
peeling, canning contamination, personal sanitation
Human health risk assessments

Possible exposure media that human are contacting with

 WHO documents on principles of human health
risk assessment for chemicals

Document title Reference

Principles for the assessment of risks to human health from IPCS (1999)
exposure to chemicals (EHC 210)

Human exposure assessment (EHC 214) IPCS (2000)

Principles and methods for the assessment of risk from essential IPCS (2002)
trace elements (EHC 228)

Elemental speciation in human health risk assessment (EHC 234) IPCS (2006)