Nutrients 2011, 3(1), 164-185; doi:10.3390/nu3010164
Review

Risk Assessment to Underpin Food Regulatory Decisions: An Example of Public Health Nutritional Epidemiology

Janis Bainesemail, Judy Cunninghamemail, Christel Leemhuisemail, Tracy Hambridgeemail and Dorothy Mackerras* email
Food Standards Australia New Zealand, PO Box 7186, Canberra BC, ACT 2610, Australia
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 7 December 2010; in revised form: 9 January 2011 / Accepted: 18 January 2011 / Published: 20 January 2011
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional Epidemiology)
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Abstract: The approach used by food regulation agencies to examine the literature and forecast the impact of possible food regulations has many similar features to the approach used in nutritional epidemiological research. We outline the Risk Analysis Framework described by FAO/WHO, in which there is formal progression from identification of the nutrient or food chemical of interest, through to describing its effect on health and then assessing whether there is a risk to the population based on dietary exposure estimates. We then discuss some important considerations for the dietary modeling component of the Framework, including several methodological issues that also exist in research nutritional epidemiology. Finally, we give several case studies that illustrate how the different methodological components are used together to inform decisions about how to manage the regulatory problem.
Keywords: risk analysis; food regulation; fortification; additives

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MDPI and ACS Style

Baines, J.; Cunningham, J.; Leemhuis, C.; Hambridge, T.; Mackerras, D. Risk Assessment to Underpin Food Regulatory Decisions: An Example of Public Health Nutritional Epidemiology. Nutrients 2011, 3, 164-185.

AMA Style

Baines J, Cunningham J, Leemhuis C, Hambridge T, Mackerras D. Risk Assessment to Underpin Food Regulatory Decisions: An Example of Public Health Nutritional Epidemiology. Nutrients. 2011; 3(1):164-185.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Baines, Janis; Cunningham, Judy; Leemhuis, Christel; Hambridge, Tracy; Mackerras, Dorothy. 2011. "Risk Assessment to Underpin Food Regulatory Decisions: An Example of Public Health Nutritional Epidemiology." Nutrients 3, no. 1: 164-185.

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