1st International Conference on Microbiological Risk Assessment: First Announcement
Risk Assessment Consortium
First Announcement
The 1st International Conference on Microbiological Risk Assessment: Foodborne Hazards
The goals of this conference are to develop a network of key professionals worldwide in microbiological food safety risk assessment, to provide a forum for exchange of new concepts and advances in the field, and to evaluate the current status and future needs and directions of this burgeoning science. The conference will be the first international conference on this subject, and will be limited to 250 - 300 international scientists in the food risk assessment field. Presentations by international experts on the current status of microbiological risk assessment, recent advances, and available resources will serve as the basis for subsequent discussions on future directions and research needs. Another important goal of the meeting is to enhance interactions between risk assessors in developing nations and risk assessors in developed nations. In addition to highlighting microbial risk assessment underway or recently completed, the conference will cover a range of topics such as risk assessment frameworks, dose-response models, dynamic exposure assessment models, evaluation of intervention strategies, the interface between risk managers and risk assessors, and communicating the results of risk assessments.
Meeting date: July 24-26, 2002
Location: University of Maryland Inn and Conference Center, College
Park, Maryland
International travel grants are available. Scientists and risk assessors from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply.
Proposed Major Sessions:
· Microbiological risk assessments (presentations on food safety microbial
risk assessments underway throughout the world.)
· Resources for risk assessors (presentations on risk assessment software and databases that risk assessors might find helpful)
· Challenges in Modeling (This session will explore current limitations and barriers to the development of effective models for both exposure and dose-response for microbiological agents.)
· Assessing Food Safety Risks Associated with Non-bacterial Microorganisms (This session will consider approaches to conducting microbial food safety risk assessments involving non-bacterial microorganisms such as viruses, protozoa, and various parasites.)
· Intervention strategies for pathogen control (presentations on how various interventions can be modeled in risk assessments.)
· Communication at the Interface between risk assessors and risk managers
