CODEX Alimentarius has been advocating that food regulations be developed using sound science and risk assessments as input into risk management decision making. However, this may not always lead to consistent regulations. A case in point are Listeria spp. regulations, which differ substantially, internationally, as a result of differences in risk management decisions taken in different jurisdictions. Does that mean that there are major differences in the sound science and risk assessment base? Or, are risk managers taking into account those insights in different ways? Recent developments in risk assessment have added to past scientific and risk assessment insights. Will these insights trigger risk managers to reconsider their regulations? In any case, inconsistencies in regulatory standards for Listeria spp. or other pathogens cause confusion with stakeholders, such as consumers and industry, when risks and risk management interventions are communicated.

This session will explore recent developments in risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication to better understand the basis of inconsistencies in risk management interventions and how risk communication addresses these inconsistencies at the international level. An update on risk assessment from the USA will be followed by risk management views from different jurisdictions (USA, Canada, and EU) and a discussion on challenges communicating conflicts in risk management views to stakeholders (from USA and EU).