| Risk assessment of malicious biocontamination of food. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 15954724 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Throughout the last decades of the 20th century, the biological threat evolved from primarily a government-controlled weapon to a tool of terrorism. One of the consequences of this trend is the near impossibility of foreseeing when and how an act of bioterrorism will occur. The suitability of food products for such an act stems from the multitude of microorganisms that may be used for contamination and the vulnerability of the products during and after processing. Tests that would enable the detection of a large variety of microorganisms quickly, reliably, and economically should also provide satisfactory means to prevent acts of malicious biocontamination of food products. Until such means become available, a priority-based approach to the problem is probably the most practical. Priorities should be determined based on a systematic risk assessment to define the relative likelihood of a certain microorganism being used in an act of malicious food contamination. Criteria to be evaluated are availability, weaponization processes, delivery of an effective dose, probability of early detection, and the microorganism's resistance to the conditions to which it will be exposed. Because the results of such an assessment may vary according to prevailing conditions, the assessment must be based on the existing circumstances. The results of the assessment should then be applied to the various procedures of food processing, which should further reduce the number of potential microbial threats. Existing methods of screening food for contaminating microorganisms and existing food safety and security procedures such as hazard analysis and critical control point programs may have to be modified to become suitable for the detection of acts of bioterrorism. |
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Authors:
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Daniel Elad |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Review |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Journal of food protection Volume: 68 ISSN: 0362-028X ISO Abbreviation: J. Food Prot. Publication Date: 2005 Jun |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2005-06-15 Completed Date: 2005-07-18 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 7703944 Medline TA: J Food Prot Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 1302-5 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Department of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 12, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel. danielad@moag.gov.il |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Animals Bioterrorism* Decision Making Food Contamination / analysis*, prevention & control* Humans Likelihood Functions Models, Theoretical Risk Assessment / methods* |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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