This assignment should continue from your work on Assignments 1 and 2, i.e., it should relate to the food,

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. 

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