Principles and methods for the risk assessment of chemicals in food
Environmental health criteria 240
Overview
The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) have served as scientific advisory bodies to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, to member countries and other interested parties since the 1960s. Considerable changes have taken place in the procedures and complexity of assessments of chemicals in food since the preparation of the original guidance documents for the work of JECFA and JMPR (EHCs 70 and 104). In order to reflect significant advances in chemical analysis, toxicological assessment, and risk assessment procedures, this detailed monograph on the methods and principles for the risk assessment of chemicals in food was developed and published in 2009.The monograph has been developed so that the key chapters are stand-alone documents, which allows for update of specific chapters as required. The individual chapters as well as all other relevant parts of the document are published here separately:
- Front Matter (Preamble; Preface, Table of Content)
- Acronyms and Abbreviations
- Summary (English)
- Chapter 1 : Introduction
- Chapter 2 : Risk Assessment and its Role in Risk Analysis
- Chapter 3 : Chemical Characterization, Analytical Methods and the Development of Specifications
- Chapter 4 : Hazard Identification and Characterization; Toxicological and Human Studies
- Chapter 5 : Dose-Response Assessment and Derivation of Health-Based Guidance Values
- Chapter 6 : Dietary Exposure Assessment of Chemicals in Food
- Chapter 7 : Risk Characterization
- Chapter 8 : Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides and Veterinary Drugs
- Chapeter 9 : Principles Related to Specific Groups of Substances
- Annex 1 : Glossary of Terms
- Annex 2: Dose Conversion Table
- Cumulative Index
Updates in 2019
Since the publication in 2009 science has further evolved as well as risk assessment practices. FAO and WHO have started several projects to update (sub)chapters as follows:
Subchapter 4.5 Genotoxicity
Testing for genotoxic potential has significantly developed with a larger number of test systems available. This requires an update f the existing guidance on the interpretation of test results, as well as to provide basic guidance as to testing strategy to allow for an assessment of the genotoxic potential of food chemicals.Chapter 5: Dose-Response Assessment and Derivation of Health-Based Guidance Values
This update is undertaken to reflect new scientific developments and to contribute to international harmonization in the application of dose-response modelling and derivation of acute and chronic health-based guidance values, considering toxicological as well as microbiological and pharmacological effects into account. An expert meeting is held Geneva, Switzerland, 25 to 29 March 2019 to develop this updated chapter.Chapter 6: Dietary Exposure Assessment of Chemicals in Food
Dietary exposure assessment and necessary global data have evolved since the original chapter was developed. Several expert workshops have been held over the ast years to update, refine and harmonize the methods as applied by Joint FAO/WHO expert committees. To reflect these changes and update of this chapter is being undertaken.
An Expert meeting will be held March 25-29 in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss a draft document prepared by a Core Group of Experts. List of experts
Other translations of the executive summary
Order from WHO at: bookorders@who.int