The Division Risk Assessment compiles health-related risk assessments along the food chain. Its main focus is on residues and contaminants, genetically modified organisms (GMO) and novel foods.
Health-Related Risk Assessment
Exposure assessment and risk characterisation are the main focal points in the drafting of comprehensive risk assessments. Exposure describes the contact humans have to substances and microorganisms. A wide variety of information is used in assessing whether health hazards are present. This also includes data on the occurrence of substances and microorganisms in foods and the amount of food ingested (exposure evaluation). Risk characterisation evaluates the risk a substance or microorganism presents in connection to the amount a person could be exposed to, enabling the assessment of the probability of an effect on human health.
The key questions mostly relate to the health hazards caused by contaminants and residues in the environment or agriculture. The division concentrates on the potential contamination of foods that may take place and the exposure people face arising from this. AGES has a vast pool of experts covering the entire food chain at its fingertips when making such comprehensive assessments. There are medical doctors, veterinarians, toxicologists, nutritional scientists, food evaluators, agricultural scientists, statisticians, biologists, zoologists, chemists and many others who assist in evaluating risks.
Further Development of Methods
We work on the further development of risk assessment methods, the development of guidelines for expert evaluations and are involved in numerous work groups. Our risk evaluators are part of both national and international research projects, contributing with their expert knowledge and methodology competences (see publications).
In addition, we offer training on risk assessment, new approaches and methods of risk evaluation and provide information as part of presentations on risk assessment issues.
International Network
Our staff members are represented on numerous national and international expert committees, such as the committees of the European Food Authority, the European Commission and the committees of the FAO/WHO.
References
BMG, BMLFUW, BAES, EFSA, Provincial Governments
AGES - Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety
