Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA)
In this context, FAO promotes the microbiological risk assessment (MRA) framework to inform actions and decisions aimed at reducing foodborne disease and facilitating domestic and international food trade. The microbiological risk assessment approach is helpful because not only does it identify hazards, it also considers the likelihood that people are exposed to specific hazards and the severity of disease that foodborne microorganisms may cause. This tool makes it possible to develop models or scenarios to estimate the impact of different interventions to determine how to best prioritize control strategies.
JEMRA’s areas of work and activities include:
- risk assessment for pathogen food commodity combinations;
- expert advice on microbiological risk management and communication;
- guidelines and methods for the microbiological risk assessment process;
- capacity development and technology transfer through courses, workshops and the provision of risk assessment, risk management and communication tools.
Microbiological Risk Assessment: an international approach
Risk assessment is one of the components of risk analysis, which can be defined as an overall strategy for addressing risk. The risk assessment process is a means of providing an estimate of the probability and severity of illness attributable to a particular pathogen food commodity combination.
Microbiological risk assessment can be used in the management of risks posed by foodborne pathogens. It can also be used to justify the introduction of food standards. As such, its use is important for both health and economic reasons. To facilitate use of MRA at the international and regional levels, FAO supports countries in understanding and conducting MRA.
MRA Publication series
The MRA series of publications provides a range of data and information for understanding and undertaking MRA. It provides risk assessments of particular pathogen–commodity combinations, interpretative summaries of the risk assessments, guidelines for undertaking and using risk assessment and reports addressing other pertinent aspects of MRA.
The information provided in the MRA series is useful to risk managers such as the Codex Alimentarius Commission, governments and food‑related regulatory agencies, scientists, food producers and industries, and other people and institutions working on issues of microbiological hazards in foods, their impact on human health and food trade, and their control.
All the JEMRA and FAO MRA publications.
Selected MRA publications
Microbiological risk assessment of viruses in foods. Part 2: Prevention and intervention measures
2026
In response to a request from the 53rd Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH), the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) convened a meeting to review recent scientific developments, data, and evidence associated with foodborne viruses, specifically for prevention and intervention measures and the efficacy of interventions in the food systems continuum.
Risk assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in foods: Part 1: Formal models
2024
In response to a request from the 52nd Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH), the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) convened a meeting, with the objective of developing formal full risk assessment models for Listeria monocytogenes in lettuce, cantaloupe, frozen vegetables and ready-to-eat fish.
Microbiological risk assessment of viruses in foods. Part 1: Food attribution, analytical methods and indicators
2024
In response to a request from the 53rd Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH), the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) convened a meeting to review recent scientific developments, data and evidence associated with foodborne viruses.
Microbiological Risk Assessment – Guidance for food
2021
This document provides guidance on undertaking risk assessment of all microbial hazards which may adversely affect human health in foods along a food chain.
Other publications
To access the publications of the MRA series, go to our OPEN KNOWLEDGE and select Microbiological Risk Assessment (MRA) in the search box.
MRA infographic
2025
Microbiological risk assessment is one of three components of the risk analysis along with risk management and risk communication. It is a science-based process that evaluates and estimates risk based on hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure assessment and risk characterization.
In brief: Assessing the risk of microbiological hazards in foods
2025
The Microbiological Risk Assessment Guidance for Food (FAO/WHO, 2021) provides a structured framework for assessing the risk of microbiological hazards in food. It was developed for the global community of scientists and risk assessors, both experienced and inexperienced in risk assessment, and the risk managers or others responsible for risk decision-making and/or communication.
FAO/WHO Joint Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA): Twenty Years of International Microbiological Risk Assessment
2025
Since the late 1990s, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) has convened expert meetings and consultations to address the microbiological risk assessment (MRA). These meetings are held to provide scientific advice in response to requests for from Codex Alimentarius
Recent news
- Antimicrobial co-selection at the food:environmental interface focus of CAS/FAO workshop, 02/11/2025
- Experts meet in Rome to tackle foodborne helminth parasites, 09/10/2025
- Experts tackle hidden risks of foodborne parasites in global food supply, 25/06/2025
- The FAO’s expert meeting on parasites has begun, 27/05/2025
- FAO Hosts Expert Meeting on Clostridium in Foods, 20/05/2025
- The Top Three Culprits Behind Viral Foodborne Illnesses, 08/05/2024
Training activities
FAO workshop on the safety and quality of water used in fisheries - Workshop Report
2025
The document reports on the proceedings of the FAO Workshop on the Safety and Quality of Water Used in Fisheries, held in Choluteca, Honduras, from 23 to 25 April 2025.
FAO Guide to Ranking Food Safety Risks at the National Level
2020
The objective of this guidance is to provide direction to decision-makers on how to start ranking the public health risk posed by foodborne hazards and/or foods in their countries.
