In this issue:

Risk Analysis Courses via Distance Learning

Two distance learning short courses - "Overview of Risk Analysis" and "Introduction to Food Safety Risk Assessment" will be held in March and April. The courses are held entirely over the Internet. They are adapted from the face-to-face Professional Development Series in Food Safety Risk Analysis developed by the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Overview of Risk Analysis begins March 31, and Introduction to Food Safety Risk Assessment begins April 26. Please visit http://www.jifsan.umd.edu/pro_training.htm for more information and registration.

New Clearinghouse Pages

Recent Additions to the Clearinghouse Exclusive Items

Selected Upcoming Events

Update Your Information in the Online Researcher Database

Editor Notes

New Clearinghouse Pages

Over the past year, the Clearinghouse website has undergone a makeover! The new design is intended to make the browsing experience more pleasant and user-friendly.

To keep up with the emerging trends, we have added the following pages:

Risk Profiles
http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/risk_profiles.cfm

Information Quality/Peer Review
http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/quality_control.cfm

Weight Management
http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/weight_management.cfm

Nutrition Assessment Tools
http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/nutrition_assessment_tools.cfm

Consumer Information on Dietary Supplements, Health, Nutrition, and Weight Management
http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/consumer_information.cfm

Back to the top

Recent Additions to the Clearinghouse Exclusives

Animal-Derived Cosmetic Ingredient Database
RTI, under contract with FDA, constructed this database on cosmetic ingredients that could potentially be derived from animals. These ingredients are of interest because of the potential for transmission of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or other Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs).
http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/adcid.htm

Identification of Animal Ingredients in Dietary Supplements Database
RTI, under contract with FDA, constructed this database on dietary supplement products sold on the Internet that contain animal ingredients. These ingredients are of interest because of the possibility of transmission of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).
http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/dspda.htm

Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting 2003: W7 - Symposium: Pathogen Performance Standards: Insight from Risk Assessment and Economics
Abstracts and presentations of this symposium chaired by Tanya Roberts and sponsored by the Food/Water and Economics Specialty Groups of the Society for Risk Analysis. Talks include: "Peeling the Onion of Performance Standards for Foodborne Pathogens"/Paoli, G.M. and Fazil, A.; "Economics and Pathogen Performance Standards"/Golan, Elise; "Perspectives on Pathogen Performance Standards"/Whiting, R.C.; and "Discussant (Pathogen Performance Standards - an FSIS Perspective)"/Schwartz, P.S.
http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/chexcl_sra2003.htm

Symposium on Peer Review 2003 - Presentations
Agenda, abstracts, presentations, and speaker bios from the Joint JIFSAN/SRA/RAC Symposium on Peer Review of Risk Assessments and Related Activities, held September 30, 2003 in Riverdale, MD.
http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/peer_review_2003-09.htm

Current State of Food Product Open Dates in the U.S.
Eastern Research Group, under contract with FDA, conducted this study of food product open dates. The information in this study was sought through literature reviews, multiple in-store surveys of food products and discussions with industry personnel and trade organizations. The survey universe consists of 149 product categories covering baked, dairy, frozen, refrigerated, shelf-stable, and chilled ready to eat food products.
http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/fpodus.htm

Survey of Manufacturing Practices in the Dietary Supplement Industry
A survey conducted by Research Triangle Institute (RTI) under contract with FDA of 966 dietary supplement establishments. The purpose of this survey was to learn about the current manufacturing practices and what constitutes GMP's in the industry.
http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/smpds.htm

For a complete listing of Clearinghouse Exclusives, visit http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/clearinghouse_exclusive.cfm

Back to the top

Selected Upcoming Events

Vose Consulting Presents: Course in Antimicrobial Risk Analysis - a guide for the Animal Health Pharmaceutical Industry
Princeton, NJ : March 15-26, 2004
http://www.risk-modelling.com/training_mra.htm

5th ASEPT International Conference: Listeria monocytogenes and Risk Analysis
Laval, France : March 17-18, 2004
http://www.asept.fr/lmra.htm

2004 FDA Science Forum: FDA Science: The Critical Path from Concept to Consumer
Washington, DC : May 18-19, 2004
http://www.dcscienceforum.org

227th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition
Anaheim, CA : March 28-April 1, 2004
http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/acsdisplay.html?DOC=meetings\anaheim2004\index.html

ACS Symposium on Chemistry and Safety of Acrylamide in Food
http://www.acrylamide-food.org/event_acs_symposium.htm

Third International Microbial Risk Assessment Workshop
Pamplona, Spain : June 21-25, 2004
http://epidemiology.vet-alfort.fr/MRAW3/

Back to the top

Update Your Information in the Online Researcher Database

The Food Safety Risk Analysis Clearinghouse maintains a database of researchers involved in the field of food safety risk analysis. If you are receiving this newsletter via email, most probably you are listed in this database. To view and update your contact information or to add or remove yourself from the database go to:
http://www.foodriskclearinghouse.umd.edu/risk_analysis_and_researcher.cfm

Back to the top

Editor Notes

Back to the top

The use of product or company names is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a JIFSAN Food Safety Risk Analysis Clearinghouse endorsement or preference for certain products or firms over others that are not mentioned.