This document discusses food safety and risk assessment capacity building programs in Europe. It notes several challenges facing the food system like population growth, climate change, and foodborne illnesses. It asks what expertise is needed in food safety, what programs currently exist, and what types of training would be useful. It provides examples of existing master's programs that incorporate interdisciplinary food safety training. It emphasizes the importance of hands-on, case-based learning that simulates real crises and incidents. Finally, it recommends setting prerequisites for future programs, including inter-university comparability, modular training in areas of expertise, and international perspectives.

1. Food Safety and Risk Assessment
Capacity Building:
Educational Cooperation Programmes in Europe
Wolfgang Kneifel
Department of Food Science & Technology
BOKU – University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
wolfgang.kneifel@boku.ac.at

2. CHALLENGES
(not ranked, incomplete, still growing)
Global population growth, Globalized trade,
Diverse market scenarios, Climate change,
Intransparent food & feed chains
Heterogeneous food quality
Food waste problem vs. Securing sufficient food
Antimicrobial resistance, Mycotoxin problem,
Harmonisation of thresholds and methodologies
Fraud, Food adulteration, Consumers literacy
Diet‐related diseases

3. CONTENT
What expertise do we need?
What programmes do exist?
What kind of training is useful?
How can we shape future programmes?
`Ten Commandments for Proper Food Safety Education´
Four questions

4. What expertise do we need?
What programmes do exist?
What kind of training is useful?
How can we shape future programmes?

5. General aim:
…to be prepared for
future scenarios
KNOW * THINK * SHAPE * DEBATE * (RE)ACT
* PREVENT * COMMUNICATE *
STUDY * TRAIN

6. SENSORY
VALUE
...to understand
FUNCTION AND
QUALITY
(incl. SAFETY)
OF FOOD
Hazards:
(Micro)Biological
Chemical
Physical
Fraud
Experience
Recommendations
Prize, Value for Money
Authenticity
Origin
Taste
Flavour
Texture
Mouthfeel
Appearance
Energy
Macronutrients
Micronutrients
Essential Ingredients
1

7. AIR (OXYGEN)
CONTACT
(PERSONS)
TEMPERATURE
WATER ACTIVITY
PHYSICAL STRUCTURE
REDOX POTENTIAL
ACIDITY & BUFFERING CAPACITY
CARRY OVER EFFECTS
ANTAGONISTS
LIVESTOCK AND BREED (TYPE)
TIME
HUMIDITY
CONTACT
(PACKAGING,
SURFACES)
TEMPERATURE
...to build up KNOWLEDGE about FOOD
ORIGIN
2

8. The Knowledge about Food:
...FOOD SCIENCE
CHEMISTRY
TOXICOLOGY
MICROBIOLOGY
HYGIENE
TECHNOLOGY PROCESS ENGINEERING
FOOD LAW
CONSUMER SCIENCE
NUTRITION SCIENCE
(VET)MEDICAL SCIENCES
EPIDEMIOLOGY
QUALITY MANAGEMENT
PUBLIC HEALTH

9. Hazards
Accidents
Problems
.
.
.
Outbreak
Damage
Problems
Consequences
.
.
...to understand ´CAUSE & EFFECT´
Kaoru Ishikawa *)
*) Further reading: Ishikawa, K.: What is Total Quality Control?
Prentice‐Hall Inc. Englewood Cliffs, NJ (1985)
3

10. HAZARDS RISK ?EXPOSURE
See also:
Food Safety Modernization Act: FDA Draft Paper, Feb 2014
EFFECT

11. …to estimate PROBABILITY

12. ´Only those who will risk going too far
can possibly find out how far one can go´
T.S. Eliot (1888-1965)
…but how to define thresholds and limits?

13. ca. 26.000 deaths
per year
on European roads
(... 70 death cases
daily)
Annually
ca. 100 deaths related to
food poisoning
in the EU
...to understand STATISTICS4

14. Global Outbreak
and Response Network
(GOARN)
Global platform for food safety
data and information
for food safety professionals
Rapid Alert System
for Food and Feed
EXPERIENCE
…to learn from real CRISES & OUTBREAKS5

15. „A crisis is a productive situation.
You just have to put away the
aftertaste of a disaster!“
Max Frisch,
Swiss writer, 1911-1991

17. …to communicate FACTS and RISKS6

18. Criteria like „quality“, „safety“, „threats“ and „crises“
are perceived differently by
Experts Consumers
• Different knowledge
• Different ranking of hazards
• Different confidence & perception
• What role can ´Science & Education´ play?

19. Potential Goals of Risk Communication
CHANGE
BEHAVIOUR
MODULATE
BELIEFS
SHARE
INFORMATION
Further reading: Fischhoff et al.: Communicating Risks and Benefits (FDA User´s Guide 2011)
Calculated (predicted) Risk vs. Perceived Risk

20. To assess and to control food safety,
some broad and interdisciplinary
knowledge is essential
7 to ´digest´ the knowledge, create LINKS and NETWORKS

21. What expertise do we need?
What programmes do exist?
What kind of training is useful?
How can we shape future programmes?

22. Study
programmes
explicitly
mentioning
´Food Safety´ in
their curriculum
names
Further information:
https://www.iseki‐food.net/curricula

23. Major partners:

24. Structure of SIFC
Compulsory Courses (Module A) 30 ECTS
Elective Courses in B‐Modules 48 ECTS
Free Elective Courses 12 ECTS
Master Thesis (6 months, practical work incl.) 30 ECTS
1st
Semester
2nd
Semester
3rd
Semester
4th
Semester
Duration: 2 years, 120 ECTS
MODUL A BOKU
MODUL B4
UHOH
Master thesisMODUL B3 WUR
MODUL B2 LIFE
MODUL B1+B5
BOKU+LJU
MODUL B3 WURMaster thesis
MODUL B6 CULS

25. Educational programmes
in USA, Canada, Australia, China,...
2 year programme, 6 core courses with several sub‐units and a project study

26. What expertise do we need?
What programmes do exist?
What kind of training is useful?
How can we shape future programmes?

27. ...to get trained close to reality
…by simulating incidents
8

28. EXAMPLE: Food Safety and Risk Management
Seminar class at
5 groups Spokespersons
§
Legal authority Producer Retailer/Trading
Comp.
ConsumerControl Lab
Role play training based on real cases

29. ...to ANALYZE CASES from different perspectives
• Assessment of problem, documentation, scenarios,
consequences
• Identification of responsibilities and culprits
• Set precautionary and (if needed) reorganization
measures
• Communication and knowledge transfer to experts
and to public & media
9

30. What expertise do we need?
What programmes do exist?
What kind of training is useful?
How can we shape future programmes?

31. Set Prerequisites
for
Future Programmes
10
Inter‐university comparability of fundamental training
& education in food science at highest level
Modular training provided where best practice & expertise exists
Versatility, soft and language skills are a must
Traineeship at (inter)national authority is useful
Regional as well as global perspectives are to be covered
Implementation of curricula at international level
(e.g., joint degrees)

32. THANK YOU