What We Heard What We Heard and Next Stepsand Next Steps

The people who made this The people who made this possiblepossible Wes Long Audrey Ichida Sharon

Thompson Mary Bender Steve Schaub Sherri Dennis Wendy Fineblum

Judy Quigley Mary Grimley Dennis Lang Tanya Roberts Peg Coleman Ann Courtney Angelo Turturro Richard Whiting

The people who made this The people who made this possiblepossible

Plenary SessionPlenary Session Must increase the size of our toolbox Enhance interactions with economists

who perform Cost-Benefit analyses Need more standardization on how

test-based data is disseminated Need methodological research Improve linkage with epidemiology Potential applications to new types of

problems (e.g., food security, food sufficiency)

Current and Future Dimensions in Current and Future Dimensions in Microbiological Risk Assessment Part Microbiological Risk Assessment Part II

Genomics will be increasingly valuable and will be useful in informing RA

MRA will need to consider the vast diversity that exists in both the pathogen and the host

Genomic methods may help surveillance in complex communities and can help identify new or emerging threats

Interface Between Risk Interface Between Risk Assessors and Risk Assessors and Risk ManagersManagers Respect is critical, no more “us and

them” Functional and physical separation

between RM and RA must be balanced Ongoing interaction provides for more

informed decision making Managers must articulate goals and

questions, and learn about risk assessment

Risk assessors must enhance communication skills

Resources for Risk Resources for Risk AssessorsAssessors Risk assessors have substantial

“bioinformatics” challenges A number of unique data sources

available Epidemiological data (e.g. Japan) Com-Base FAOSTAT NHANES and CSFII

Need for easy access

Modeling (Modelling?) Modeling (Modelling?) Intervention Strategies for Intervention Strategies for Pathogen ControlPathogen Control

Simple models for microbial growth, death and survival may not be “good enough”?

We have a wealth of knowledge that could be used for risk assessments

Need to be able to translate risk assessments into parameters and procedures used in food industry if going to improve public health

Current and Future Dimensions in Current and Future Dimensions in Microbiological Risk Assessment Part Microbiological Risk Assessment Part IIII

Can a standard approach be developed that will cover all microbial types and human subpopulations?

Are current protocols for predicting risk sufficient for decision making?

How much flexibility is needed?

Modeling ChallengesModeling Challenges

Ascertaining the relevance of data sets is very difficult but very important

Need to differentiate variation and uncertainty separate, both technically and for effective communication

Great progress is modeling things that just a few years ago were thought too complex (e.g., cross-contamination)

VirusesViruses

Minimum information on diversity of viral isolates - genetically highly diverse

Methodological limitations Modeling of viral penetration

and infection is not biologically based

Modeling Susceptible Modeling Susceptible PopulationsPopulations Epidemiologic, animal, and in

vitro studies can be integrated to provide a biological basis for risk

Strategic research directed to specific biological phenomena; not just data but mechanisms also

Overall ThemesOverall Themes

Microbial risk assessment is in its infancy

It appears to be a very smart baby

Overall ThemesOverall Themes

Effective communication and interaction critical

Keep focus on the goal, i.e., sound risk-based food safety decisions

Need to embrace a wider range of disciplines and approaches

Balance complexity vs. usefulness (i.e., parsimony)

Openness of participants was outstanding

Next StepsNext Steps

JIFSAN Food Safety Risk Assessment Clearinghouse is a resource for communication that is available to help

Next StepsNext Steps

Publication of the proceedings

Manuscripts due to Audrey Ichida by August 30th

Next StepsNext Steps

22ndnd International International ConferenceConference Would it be

worthwhile? How could we

improve it? Where should

we hold it?

Thank you Thank you for for participatiparticipating and ng and have a safe have a safe trip hometrip home