Issue date: March 18, 2004

Risk and food are on the same plate

By Kirsten Khire,
National Food Safety and Toxicology Center

New methods are in the pipeline to improve the safety of the world’s food supply, and the need is imminent, said the director of the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center at MSU.

Ewen C.D. Todd organized the symposium “Food Safety and Risk Assessment: New Approaches to Microbiological Problems” at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting last month in Seattle. Todd emphasized that microbiological foodborne hazards, such as listeriosis, are cause for concern today, due to many changes:

The globalization and urbanization of developing countries, some without adequate infrastructure systems to handle food and water safety.
Growing numbers of countries reporting increased numbers of foodborne illnesses through better surveillance systems.
Problems with produce contamination, extending the outlook of food risk.
Concerns with bioterrorism and possible threats to food security.
New patterns of food production, distribution and consumption, including increased travel, eating away from home, and the higher demand for a wide variety of food (issues of trade).
Recent recalls and industry losses such as the Pilgrim’s Pride Listeria outbreak of 2002 and mad cow disease affecting Canadian and U.S. beef supplies in 2003 and 2004.

“Scientific risk-based policy is overtaking the cultural and political debate about food,” said Todd, referring to the United States’ recent single case of mad cow disease.

“Countries are creating policies based on risk, not on culture. The current systems of testing and release of products have not proven very effective in reducing foodborne illness.”

Risk assessments are the gathering of quantitative data on the prevalence (whether it occurs) and concentration (how much is present) of foodborne illness for specific foods. Modules from farm to fork help create a mathematical picture about risk for contamination. The resulting models can predict the number of illnesses that can occur, and how managers can change parameters - and thus food safety strategies - to control the risk. The concept is relatively new for the food industry - so it’s imperative that the global community understand the issue and methods, Todd said.

Todd gathered together expert speakers on risk assessment of food to hash out approaches for countries as diverse as Malaysia and the United States - which, as with many countries, currently have different approaches to assess risk for foodborne illness. In addition to Todd, the speakers included:

Jorgen Schlundt of the World Health Organization: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, along with WHO, is in the process of drafting risk assessment strategies for 21 foods. Todd co-authored the FAO/WHO assessment on Listeria monocytogenes.
Karen Hulebak of the U.S. Department of Agriculture: Hulebak represented the Codex Alimentarius Commission from the perspective of the Committee on Food Hygiene.
Karen Dodds of Health Canada: While Canada has a management system in place, factors such as bioterrorism and mad cow disease may impact food labeling and trade.
Isabel Walls of International Life Sciences Institute, Risk Science Institute: ILSI is drafting a final report that describes risk to different types of populations, including the sensitive immuno-compromised population.
Leon Gorris of Unilever: Gorris provided industry perspective on risk assessment, and how it can aid in product development and design.

Todd is a member of MSU’s Environmental Science and Policy Program, a groundbreaking new effort that gathers the university’s vast, multidisciplinary resources to best position students, scientists and society for a future filled with change and a need for balance.

For information on the program, access the Web site at www.environment.msu.edu

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 76 million cases of foodborne illness per year. This is the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. citizens acquiring a foodborne illness each year.

The National Food Safety and Toxicology Center at MSU is committed to reducing food- related disease on a global level through research, education and outreach.