This assignment should continue from your work on
Assignments 1 and 2, i.e., it should relate to the food, food-borne hazard, and
population that you identified in your previous Hazard Identification and
Characterisation (Assignment 1), and Exposure Assessment and
Risk Characterization (Assignment 2). In this assignment you are asked to:
I) think about, and evaluate, risk management options for
the food/hazard combination that you have already described to protect the
population that you previously nominated, and
ii) Consider how those risk management options might be
implemented, including risk communication issues, potential impediments to
stakeholder acceptance, and strategies to secure stakeholder acceptance and
implementation of the strategies.
This assignment comprises several aspects:
1: Discussion of potential risk management options (40% of
marks available)
Based on your previous assignments, the learning packages on
the USB stick, and other reading and thinking that you have done, discuss
options for managing the risk from the hazard you have selected and explain the
rationale for those options.
Risk management strategies might include, for example:
• setting of microbiological criteria, e.g., standards,
guidelines, Performance Criteria, Food Safety Objectives, etc.
• requiring that food processors implement new technologies
(high pressure processing, irradiation, better detection technologies, better
plant hygiene, etc.) or new practices (e.g. HACK, better sanitation etc.), or
some other change that eliminates, controls or minimizes the risk from the
hazard;
• Education of consumers by communication strategies,
improved labeling etc., either to avoid the product if they are especially
susceptible or to educate them how to handle/use the product safely;
• banning the product, or process, or other preventive
actions;
• Setting up surveillance programs; etc.
Or any combination of the above (or anything else) that
seems relevant and effective.
2: Evaluation of best risk management options (20% of marks
available)
Discuss issues that should be considered when assessing the
advantages and disadvantages of each of the potential risk management options
that you nominated, e.g., from a cost versus benefit perspective, practicality/technological
feasibility, public and industry acceptance/reaction etc. (nab. review and
remind yourself of the meaning of risk communication when addressing this
part).
3. Implementation (40% of marks available) from your
understanding of:
I) the hazard,
ii) Factors that contribute to the risk, and iii)
stakeholder perceptions and reactions indicate your most preferred risk
management strategy, or strategies, i.e., the option that you think will be
most effective and practical.
Explain the reasons that you nominated your preferred risk
management option(s) taking into account effectiveness, cost, technological
feasibility, consumer or industry acceptance, ability to monitor the
effectiveness of the strategy, etc.
In your answer, discuss how food-producers, government
health officers or consumers might respond to your preferred risk management
strategy and consider any ‘risk communication’ aspects required for the best
success and adoption of your proposed approach by stakeholders.
