New opportunities have become available, in terms of data production and exploitation in the field of microbiological risk assessment (MRA), due to technological advancements in the field of the nucleic acids sequencing, where there is the possibility to obtain a large number of sequences (millions) from the microorganisms present in a single sample without the need for their cultivation.  More specifically, the behavior of foodborne pathogens, deciphered with transcriptomic, proteomic, and/or metabolomic techniques, within the whole food chain and in response to specific stresses, can now be studied. The current challenge scientists are facing is the integration of such data into risk assessment schemes.

In 2016, at the IAFP European Symposium in Athens, a workshop on "Next Generation MRA (Microbiological Risk Assessment) Integration of Omics Data into Assessment" was co-organized by ILSI Europe, IAFP, and ICFMH, in which four breakout groups on epidemiology, metagenomics, exposure assessment, and hazard characterization brainstormed and produced a common strategy to go beyond the current knowledge. In this symposium, we will present the main outcomes of the workshop, including the points of view of academia and industry, and we will further discuss to how best use omics data in MRA.

Presentations