The main objective of the BTSF Training Programme/Course on Microbioological risk assessment is:
- to disseminate best practices for the implementation of principles and methods of food chain risk assessment, improving knowledge of this complex area of work and ensuring consistent and high implementation standards across the European Union.
The extended objectives of this training activity are:
- To promote exchange of experience in order to increase the level of expertise and harmonisation of approaches.
- To contribute to increasing transparency and building trust amongst Member States’ authorities in each other’s risk assessments.
- To contribute to the harmonisation of risk assessment approaches.
- To disseminate best practices for risk management and communication.
- To promoting reduction of discrepancies in procedural aspects of risk assessment.
The course addresses the following topics:
- Food intoxication versus food infection
- Serious risk perception vs Qualified Presumption of Safety
- Genome sequencing
- Pathogen-product pathway
- The disease triangle (pathogen virulence-host susceptibility-food matrix)
- Sources of dose-response data (human volunteer feeding studies, epidemiological data, animal studies, in vitro studies)
- Modelling dose-response relationship (types of models, selection of dose-response model)
- Microbial processes (such as growth and inactivation of microorganisms) and food handling processes (such as cross-contamination), statistical inference
- Qualitative and qualitative (deterministic vs. stochastic) models, simple vs. structured models
- Uncertainty and variability in exposure assessment
- Sensitivity analysis and “what if” scenariosRisk management aspects specifically related to microbiological risk assessment and other related issues (e.g. antimicrobial resistance, BSE and other TSE prions)
- Risk communication
This training programme has been designed for the profiles and positions described below. Please verify compliance with the selection criteria before submitting or validating applications.
- Professional experience in national authorities and public institutions (including so called "Art. 36 of Reg. 178/2002" organisations) involved in food chain risk assessment
- Experience in the specific field of microbiological risk assessment.
- Experience in crisis investigation and management
| Session | Start Date | End Date | City | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 09/10/2023 | 13/10/2023 | Warsaw | Poland |
| 5 | 17/06/2024 | 21/06/2024 | Rome | Italy |
