FOOD SAFETY RISK

ANALYSIS

Courses Offered Online

NFSC 501
Food Safety Risk Management
Pre-requisites: none
Risk Management in the context of food safety is the process of weighing policy alternatives to control risks as effectively as possible. It is the foundation of the risk analysis paradigm. Risk analysis begins, is guided by and ends with risk management. The course begins with an introduction to the risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication tasks of risk analysis. The role of risk management in providing science-based approaches to solving food safety problems is the focus of this course. Topics covered include several risk management models and practical applications in critical risk management activities including identifying problems and issues that merit attention, establishing objectives, developing questions, determining if and when a risk assessment is needed, formulating, evaluating, selecting and implementing the best management option to manage the risk.
(3 credits)

NFSC 502
Food Safety Risk Assessment
Pre-requisites: NFSC 501
This course focuses on theory, methodology, and the mainstream risk assessment models with emphasis on state-of-the-art guidelines and an examination of actual risk assessments- including post-market and pre-market assessments utilizing the safety paradigm, carcinogenicity assessment, biotechnology, nutritional risk/benefit assessment, microbiological risk assessment, antimicrobial resistance and animal drug risk assessment, and food defense risk assessment.
(3 credits)

NFSC 503
Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Food Safety Risk Assessment
Pre-requisites: NFC 501 and NFSC 502
This course examines the specific qualitative and quantitative methods necessary for characterizing, evaluating and comparing food safety risks. Screening and ranking tools useful in qualitative assessments will be presented. Quantitative modeling considerations such as probability, sensitivity analysis, uncertainty, and variability will be examined, and methods such as event trees, probabilistic scenarios analysis, and Monte Carlo methods will be tested. Students will develop simple risk models suitable for responding to risk managers' needs using qualitative or quantitative tools.
(3 credits)

COMM 668A
Food Safety Risk Communication
Pre-requisites: NFSC 501
Risk communication is an interactive process of exchange of information and opinion among individuals, groups, and institutions. The process involves decision making, actions, developing policies aimed at managing or controlling health or environmental risks, developing messages to prevent risk, and understanding perceptions of risk. This class instructs students in how to communicate to stakeholders about food safety risks. The course's approach is theoretical, practical and applied and is focused on the elements that comprise risk communication: source credibility, target audience analysis, message development, choosing media channels, and working with the media. This class will help students become more effective risk communicators, whether dealing with the public, the media, or with internal organizational members.
(3 credits)

University of Maryland College Park
Single Point of Contact (SPOC)
Office of Professional Studies
1130 Mitchell Building, First Floor
College Park, Maryland 20742-3210

Phone/Fax Numbers:
Email: spoc@umd.edu
Phone: 301-314-3572
Toll-free: 1-877-989-7762
Fax: 301-314-7915