Multicriteria-Based Ranking for Risk Management of Food-Borne Parasites

Infectious diseases caused by food-borne parasites have not received the same level of attention as other food-borne biological and chemical hazards. Nevertheless, they cause a high burden of disease in humans, may have prolonged, severe, and sometimes fatal outcomes, and result in considerable hardship in terms of food safety, security, quality of life, and negative impacts on livelihoods. The transmission routes for food-borne parasites are diverse. They can be transmitted by ingesting fresh or processed foods that have been contaminated via the environment, by animals or people. Additionally, notification to public health authorities is not compulsory for most parasitic diseases, so official reports do not capture the true prevalence or incidence of the diseases, as much underreporting occurs.

This report presents the results of a global ranking of food-borne parasites from a food safety perspective. It also provides an overview of the current status of knowledge of the ranked parasites in food and their public health and trade impact, and provides advice and guidance on the parasite-commodity combinations of particular concern, the issues that need to be addressed by risk managers, and the risk management options available to them. It documents the ranking process used to facilitate its adoption at regional, national, or local levels.

This volume and others in the Microbiological Risk Assessment Series contain information that is useful to both risk assessors and risk managers, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, governments and regulatory agencies, food producers and processers and other institutions or individuals with an interest in foodborne parasites and their impact on food safety, public health and livelihoods.