Rapid risk assessment framework to assess public health risk of antimicrobial resistance found in foods

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an emerging pandemic and a critical threat to future treatment of even menial infectious diseases. AMR is transmitted between animals, humans and the environment e.g. through consumption of contaminated food. The risk to public health of consuming food AMR bacteria is difficult to assess, and the complexity of the problem renders most existing risk assessment frameworks of limited use for timely risk management.

This study developed a rapid risk assessment tool: RRA-AMR-Food for regulators and policy-makers to evaluate whether any risk management is required when a new or critical important AMR-gene is detected in food. The tool consists of two risk criteria: risk of the food type, the risk of the AMR-gene, and two consequence levels: the short term individual risk and the long term community risk. The outcomes are two independent risk estimates: for short term risks and for long term risks, respectively.

The RRA-AMR-Food is a practical and user-friendly tool for regulators based on scientific evidence and expertise. It simplifies a very complex system and is only useful for providing initial guidance for risk management and is not a comprehensive risk assessment tool. It may enable risk managers to identify high risk foods that need to be withdrawn from the market in order to protect consumers and public health.