2021 FDA Science Forum
Novel Predictive Analytic Tools to Inform Food Safety Decisions
- Authors:
- Center:
-
Contributing OfficeCenter for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Abstract
The Division of Risk and Decision Analysis, within CFSAN’s Office of Analytics and Outreach, develops novel predictive analytical tools that can integrate data and information from a wide diversity of sources, sectors, and disciplines to derive new insights into particularly challenging food safety problems. These tools are virtual laboratories where scientists, stakeholders, and risk managers can explore the impact of different policies, practices, and events on the risk of illness to the consumer or population. Working with partners throughout the Agency, a suite of predictive models were developed to increase understanding of food safety and contamination pathways at various events in the food supply including restaurants, delicatessens, and production of a variety of commodities including tree nuts, cheese, fresh-cut produce, sprouts., These predictive tools have been used to investigate root cause and identify prevention strategies that inform policies, guidance, and messaging that reduce contamination of food and illness of consumers. Prioritization tools help to optimize resource allocations by ranking options, generally on the basis of risk or public health impact. The Risk Ranking Model for Product Tracing (RRM-FT) is an example of a prioritization tool used to inform the development of a Food Traceability List for the FSMA Proposed Rule on Food Traceability.
