A multidisciplinary European network to critically assess the current knowledge in Risk Assessment and to examine the science base for new qualitative and quantitative methodologies used in assessing risks from chemical substances in the food chain. A gap analysis was conducted to identify research needs in the area. The aim was to provide a measure of consensus of the ways in which Risk Assessment should be conducted in various situations and of the research needed to improve the process.
The project was addressed by “Individual Theme Groups” (ITGs) comprising collaborators with specialised expertise in the fields of hazard identification, hazard characterisation and exposure assessment. Each ITG prepared a report of its findings, conclusions and recommendations, which was reviewed by a plenary meeting, and the 3 reports were published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.
Subsequently, the ITG on Risk Characterisation integrated the reports into one general document and addressed any additional issues arising during this integrative process to ensure maximum coherence between the various components of the Risk Characterisation process.
The paper is one of the first papers dealing with risk characterisation of chemicals in food and diet in a very detailed and thorough manner.
The paper describes the risk assessment process and in particular the risk characterisation in a very structured way. There is a widely accepted and reasonably mature system for the risk characterisation of low molecular weight chemicals (e.g., food additives, pesticides, contaminants) and the paper inevitably focuses on these. However the paper goes even further, as consideration is also given to the application of the risk characterisation process to other food categories, i.e., micronutrients and nutritional supplements, macronutrients, and whole foods. The methodology described will be used by many agencies and nationalities that evaluate chemicals in food.