In Europe we enjoy some of the highest standards of food safety in the world, and to ensure that this continues will require a stronger EFSA and a stronger risk-assessment community. This was the view of a conference held recently by EFSA and the European Commission's Directorate General for Health and Consumers. You can find out more on the EFSA website.
I attended the conference and I agree with its conclusions, but I would say that there's another important requirement – consistency in risk management.
My view is that we need the same level of transparency in decision-making that we have in risk assessment, so there is clarity on what other factors have been used to make decisions.
Second, we need to develop assessments that look at risks and benefits, and balancing consequences of acting and of not acting.
Third, the 'other factors' that decision makers consider should be amenable to evidence-based analysis (and to the openness that goes with it). We can develop this, working across natural/social sciences and the science and policy worlds.
Finally, I think we need to focus on what works, including alternatives to traditional forms of regulation.
What would work for you?
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