Risk analysis

in food safety is a structured decision-making process that supports the development of standards, addresses emerging hazards or failures in food control systems, and provides regulators with the evidence they need for informed decisions.

It consists of three distinct but closely connected components: risk assessment, the scientific evaluation of hazards and their likelihood of causing harm; risk management, which integrates scientific findings with economic, social, cultural, and ethical considerations to select the most appropriate control measures; and risk communication, the timely and accurate exchange of information among all members of the risk analysis team and external stakeholders.

Risk analysis is an essential framework for achieving better food safety outcomes and improvements in public health.