Food Safety Risk Analysis: Creating an Internet Community
23 August 2000
University of MD -College Park
Agenda | Presentation
abstracts | Resources
discussion summary
Challenges
discussion summary | Participants
Meeting description
On 23 August 2000, the JIFSAN Food Safety Risk Analysis Clearinghouse hosted a meeting of various groups that have been or are presenting resources on the Internet to assist food safety risk analysts. The meeting had two main objectives: the first was to foster communication among these various groups. By keeping informed of one another's activities, we can best plan our individual development. Doing so would allow for efficient linking, identification of resource gaps and reduced redundancy. The second objective of the meeting was to identify the resources that are needed to create a community of food safety risk analysts and scientists on the Internet, as well as the challenges that we face in presenting these resources.
Resources
After listening to five presentations on resources being made available on the Internet for food safety risk analysts, and one presentation on user needs, the meeting participants were divided into four discussion groups. These groups were charged with compiling a list of resources that are needed for creating a viable Internet community of food safety risk analysts. The many ideas generated within these groups can be broken down into the following categories: Tools, Training, Communication and Data. Full Summary.
Challenges
After hearing the presentations in the morning, and discussing the resources that should be provided on the Internet to help establish the "Internet Community" of food safety risk analysts, meeting participants were divided into four discussion groups to create a list of challenges that we face in providing these resources. Several ideas from these groups can be categorized as challenges related to: Resources, Tools or Data. Full Summary.
Wrap-up
Although this meeting pointed to several needs within the food safety risk analysis community, the one expressed most consistently was the need for access to more (and better) data. Participants in this meeting were very interested in involving industry in the process, particularly as a source of data that can be useful in performing risk assessments. Also, participants expressed an interest in maintaining the dialog among the various groups working to put these resources on the Internet.
