Risk assessment

Abstract

Whether it's excess fat leading to cancer, heart trouble and diabetes, nasty bacteria leading to food poisoning,
or unknowns surrounding the use of agricultural chemicals leading to fear, people are worrying about what they eat. Meals, it seems, are no longer gatherings at which friends and family share stories and food, but a crisis of introspection and guilt.

People are concerned about the quality of the food they eat. Producers and others want to bring the best knowledge to bear on any decision or action involving food. But the ability to apply science-based solutions to food safety and other food-related challenges is intricately dependent on issues of public perception, the regulatory environment, fairness, accountability and, most importantly, trust.

On-farm food safety programs are an action, an appropriate risk management strategy, to demonstrate
to consumers that producers are cognoscent of their newfound concerns about microbial food safety, and to demonstrate that producers and others in the farm-to-fork continuum are working to reduce levels of risk. Because when the next outbreak comes - and microorganisms can adapt and evolve to any food production and distribution system that is created - producers need to demonstrate due diligence to minimize potential losses.