Hazard Identification

Hazard identification is defined in the Codex Alimentarius Commission Procedural Manual, Fourteenth Edition (2004) as "The identification of biological, chemical, and physical agents capable of causing adverse health effects and which may be present in a particular food or group of foods."

• Dietary Supplements
• Biological Hazards
• General Biological Hazards
• Bacteria
• Listeria
• Salmonella
• Other Bacteria
• Other Biological Hazards
• Chemical Hazards
• General Chemical Hazards
• Pesticide Residues
• Contaminants
• Other Chemical Hazards
• Physical Hazards
• Food Allergy
• Food Defense

Dietary Supplements

Biological Hazards

General Biological Hazards

Bacteria

Listeria

Salmonella

Other Bacteria

Format	Author(s)	Title / Description	Date added	Details
	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	Anthrax Information and fact sheets on anthrax, including information on diagnosis, infection control, laboratory testing, surveillance, and more. (more)	Apr 19, 2005
	Huss, H.H.; Ababouch, L.; Gram, L.	Assessment and Management of Seafood Safety and Quality Report on risk assessment and management issues associated with seafood. Includes discussion of world seafood production and consumption, food safety systems, hazard identification and characterization, and risk management strategies such as HACCP, FSOs, microbiological criteria, traceability, and more. Appendices include "Assessment of Food Safety Programmes," "Hazard Analysis Worksheet," "HACCP Plan Form," and "Generic HACCP Plan for the Production and Processing of Oysters". (more) Publication Year: 2003	Nov 18, 2004
	Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	Botulism This page provides an overview of botulism, including incidence, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, risk groups, surveillance, and more. (more)	Jul 17, 2002
	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	Botulism Information and fact sheets on botulism, including information on infection control, laboratory testing, surveillance, and more. (more)	Apr 19, 2005
	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	Brucellosis Information and fact sheets on brucellosis, including information on laboratory testing, surveillance, and more.	Apr 19, 2005
	Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	Campylobacter Infections Overview of Campylobacter. Includes diagnosis, treatment, exposure pathways, prevention, incidence, risk groups, surveillance, and more. (more)	Jul 17, 2002
	Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	Cholera Overview of cholera. Includes the risk for cholera in the U.S., prevention, treatment, incidence, exposure pathways, risk groups, surveillance, and more. (more)	Jul 17, 2002
	European Food Safety Authority	The Community Summary Report on Trends and Sources of Zoonoses, Zoonotic Agents and Antimicrobial Resistance in the European Union in 2004 Report on zoonotic agents and zoonoses in the EU in 2004. Includes data on levels of agents in foods and foodborne outbreaks and on antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. coli. (more) Deadline: Monday, January 9, 2006 Publication Date: Wednesday, December 21, 2005	Jan 9, 2006
	Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization	Enterobacter sakazakii and Other Microorganisms in Powdered Infant Formula Report of a meeting convened by the FAO & WHO on 2-5 Feb. 2004. Includes executive summary and three appendices: List of Background Papers, Data Received in Response to Call for Data, and notes on strategies used in the risk assessment. (more) Publication Year: 2004	Feb 1, 2005
	International Food Safety Authorities Network, World Health Organization	Enterobacter sakazakii in Powdered Infant Formula Note to alert authorities to emerging issue of infections related to E. sakazakii in powdered infant formula, and to summarize current efforts toward determining the magnitude and resolution of the problem. (more) Publication Date: Thursday, January 13, 2005	Jan 27, 2005
	Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	Escherichia coli O157:H7 Overview of E. coli O157:H7. Includes effects, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, incidence, exposure, risk groups, surveillance, and more. (more)	Jul 17, 2002
	Federal Institute for Health Protection of Consumers and Veterinary Medicine	Final report of the BgVV Working Group "Probiotic Microorganism Cultures in Food" This group reviewed the use of adding bacteria to food: which bacteria are added, the claimed health effects, and the quantity needed to have health effects. The group concluded that the traditionally-used lactic acid-producing bacteria were safe and outlined criteria for evaluation of other cultures. (more) Publication Month: October 1999	Jun 7, 2005
	Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration	Fish and Fisheries Products Hazards and Controls Guidance: Third Edition This report discusses the FDA's thinking on the hazards associated with fish and fishery products and on controls for those hazards. It includes information on developing a HACCP Plan and discussion of such hazards as pathogens from the harvest area, parasites, natural toxins, chemical contaminants, aquaculture drugs, allergens, metal and glass inclusion, and more. (more) Publication Month: June 2001	Aug 7, 2002
	Institute of Food Science and Technology	Food Safety and Cheese This report describes the hazards to human health associated with cheese. It includes discussion of foodborne outbreaks associated with cheese, the microbiological safety of cheese, control measures, and consumer awareness of health risks associated with cheese. (more) Publication Date: Thursday, April 16, 1998	Aug 9, 2002
	Department of Food Safety, Zoonoses and Foodborne Diseases, World Health Organization	Food Safety and Streptococcus suis Fact sheet regarding contracting Streptococcus suis from infected pork meat. Deadline: Tuesday, October 11, 2005	Oct 11, 2005
	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	Food Safety Threats This page links to FAQs and technical overviews on agents that could be intentional threats to food safety.	Apr 19, 2005
	American Medical Association/American Nurses Association-American Nurses Foundation/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration/Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department	Foodborne Illnesses Table: Bacterial Agents Table gives etiology, incubation period, signs and symptoms, duration of illness, associated foods, laboratory testing, and treatment information for a variety of bacterial agents. (more) Publication Month: February 2004	Jul 19, 2002
	Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration	Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook: The "Bad Bug Book" Handbook with information on foodborne pathogenic microorganisms and natural toxins, including information on the associated disease, associated foods, target populations, outbreaks, and more. Appendices include "Infective dose," "Epidemiology summary table," "Factors affecting microbial growth in foods," "Foodborne Disease Outbreaks, United States 1988-1992," and "Additional Foodborne Disease Outbreak Articles and Databases". (more) Publication Month: January 1992	Aug 31, 2001
	Seafood Products Research Center, Food and Drug Administration	"Glowing" Seafood? This document discusses the bacteria that may cause seafood to glow and the risks to humans from some forms of bacteria associated with glowing seafood. (more) Publication Month: July 1998	Aug 7, 2002
	Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization	Hazard Identification, Exposure Assessment, and Hazard Characterization of Campylobacter spp. in Broiler Chickens and Vibrio spp. in Seafood - Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Risk Assessment of Microbiological Hazards in Foods held in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 23-27, 2001. It presents hazard identification, hazard characterization, and exposure assessment considerations for the risk assessment of Campylobacter spp. in broilers and Vibrio spp. in seafood, including a dose-response curve for Vibrio. (more) Publication Date: Monday, September 10, 2001	Aug 26, 2002
	Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited	Microbial Pathogen Data Sheets Fact sheets on foodborne pathogens. Sections include "The Organism/Toxin," "Growth and Its Control," "The Illness," "Sources," "Outbreaks and Incidents," "Adequate Processing Guidelines," and others. Fact sheets may be available for Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, Cryptosporidium parvum, enteric viruses, E. coli O157:H7, non-O157 STEC, Giardia intestinalis, hepatitis A virus, Listeria monocytogenes, Mycobacterium bovis, Norwalk-like viruses, Salmonella Typhi, non-typhoid Salmonellae, scombroid poisoning, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, Toxoplasma gondii, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, and Yersinia enterocolitica. (more)	Sep 7, 2004
	Dey, B.P., Ed.	Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook "The Guidebook contains current protocols for analytical tests required by FSIS regulatory activities on meat, poultry and egg products. Specifically, microbiological methods are presented for sample preparation, isolation and identification of the major foodborne pathogenic microorganisms and their toxins, meat tissue species identification, and the detection of extraneous materials and antimicrobial residues. Media and reagent formulations, and Most Probable Number Tables are contained in an appendix". (more) Publication Year: 1998	Aug 8, 2002
	Institute of Food Science and Technology	Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and Milk This document provides an overview of M. paratuberculosis, including pathogenicity, potential sources for human infection, association with Crohn's disease, and heat resistance. (more) Publication Date: Wednesday, August 19, 1998	Aug 9, 2002
	Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards, European Food Safety Authority	Opinion of the BIOHAZ Panel Related to Clostridium spp in Foodstuffs Opinion adopted on March 9-10 2005 that presents hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure assessment, and control information for Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium botulinum. (more) Publication Date: Thursday, April 14, 2005	Apr 19, 2005
	Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards, European Food Safety Authority	Opinion of the Scientific Panel BIOHAZ Related to the Public Health Risks of Feeding Farmed Animals with Ready-to-use Dairy Products without Further Treatment (Question No EFSA-Q-2004-161) Opinion adopted on March 15-16, 2006 concerning the use of different kinds of ready-to-use Category 3 milk, milk-based products and milk-derived products to feed farmed animals and its impact on public health. (more) Deadline: Thursday, April 13, 2006 Publication Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2006	Apr 13, 2006
	Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards, European Food Safety Authority	Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards on "Bacillus cereus and Other Bacillus spp in Foodstuffs" Opinion adopted on January 26-27, 2005 that presents hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure assessment, and control information for Bacillus cereus and other Bacillus spp. (more) Publication Date: Thursday, April 7, 2005	Apr 25, 2005
	Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards, European Food Safety Authority	Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards on the Request from the Commission Related to the Microbiological Risks in Baby Formulae and Follow-on Formulae Opinion adopted on September 9, 2004 regarding microbiological risks in infant formulae and follow-on formulae, with emphasis on E. sakazakii. Includes discussion of hazard identification for Salmonella, E. sakazakii, and other microorganisms, hazard characterization, exposure assessment, and control measures. (more) Publication Date: Wednesday, November 17, 2004	Nov 22, 2004
		Preliminary FoodNet Data on the Incidence of Infection with Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food --- 10 Sites, United States, 2004 This article discusses 2004 surveillance data for Campylobacter, E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio, Yersinia, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Comparisons are made for data from 1996-2004. (more) Publication Date: Friday, April 15, 2005	Apr 18, 2005
	Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food	Second Report on Campylobacter Report on Campylobacter, its epidemiology, detection, and typing, measures to prevent contamination of meats, especially chicken, with Campylobacter, and measures to prevent cross-contamination in domestic and catering environments. Annexes include "Advice to FSA on situation in Scandinavia," "Assured Chicken Production," "The UK market for extensively-reared poultry," "Implementation of recommendations," and more. A summary of responses to the consultation on the draft report can be found here. (more) Publication Month: March 2005	Jul 22, 2005
	Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture	Serotyping of Salmonellae from Meat and Poultry Products: Quarterly Reports Report of salmonella testing and serotype data which are a resource for comparison with future post-Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point data collection. Along with complementary data from molecular and phenotypic analyses, it also provides an opportunity to examine the association among serotypes isolated on-farm, from meat and poultry products and from human cases of salmonellosis. (more) Publication Year: 2007	Jun 17, 2008
	Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	Shigellosis Overview of shigellosis. Includes diagnosis, treatment, exposure, prevention, incidence, risk groups, surveillance, and more. (more)	Jul 17, 2002
	Professional Food Microbiology Group, Institute of Food Science and Technology	Verocytotoxin-Producing E. coli Food Poisoning and Its Prevention Information statement regarding VTEC, including discussion of incidence, food safety issues, quality assurance, detection, and more. (more) Publication Month: November 2004	Nov 22, 2004
	Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	Vibrio vulnificus Overview of Vibrio vulnificus. Includes symptoms, exposure, diagnosis, treatment, incidence, risk groups, surveillance, and more. (more)	Jul 17, 2002

Other Biological Hazards

Format	Author(s)	Title / Description	Date added	Details
	National Toxicology Program, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services	Aflatoxins This report discusses carcinogenicity, properties, use, production, exposure, and regulations of aflatoxins. Publication Month: December 2002	Aug 14, 2002
	Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization	Animal Feed Impact on Food Safety Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Animal Feed Impact on Food Safety which was held at FAO Headquarters in Rome from 8 to 12 October 2007. The meeting concluded that ensuring safe feed is an important component of efforts to reduce and prevent food safety hazards and indicated several potential measures to ensure safe feed. Agenda of the meeting, list of participants, experts' resumes and list of documents are included as appendices. The report is being translated in French and Spanish. Printed copies may be requested from: Daniela.Battaglia@fao.org. (more) Publication Year: 2008	Feb 26, 2008
	Huss, H.H.; Ababouch, L.; Gram, L.	Assessment and Management of Seafood Safety and Quality Report on risk assessment and management issues associated with seafood. Includes discussion of world seafood production and consumption, food safety systems, hazard identification and characterization, and risk management strategies such as HACCP, FSOs, microbiological criteria, traceability, and more. Appendices include "Assessment of Food Safety Programmes," "Hazard Analysis Worksheet," "HACCP Plan Form," and "Generic HACCP Plan for the Production and Processing of Oysters". (more) Publication Year: 2003	Nov 18, 2004
	Reid, M.	Background on Toxic Honey Information pamphlet regarding toxic honey and how to manage the risk from toxic honey. Publication Month: October 2003	Oct 18, 2004
	Institute of Food Science and Technology	Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in Humans This information statement highlights available data and research on BSE and vCJD up to September 2004. Includes discussion of origin and spread, the infective agent, infectivity of bovine materials, health controls, BSE risk by country or region, vertical transmission, BASE, BSE and sheep, vCJD, detection methods, therapeutic agents, research needs, and more. (more) Publication Month: October 2004	Aug 9, 2002
	Canadian Food Inspection Agency	Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in North America This page links to information on BSE and Canadian safeguards and actions against BSE.	Oct 13, 2004
	European Food Safety Authority	The Community Summary Report on Trends and Sources of Zoonoses, Zoonotic Agents and Antimicrobial Resistance in the European Union in 2004 Report on zoonotic agents and zoonoses in the EU in 2004. Includes data on levels of agents in foods and foodborne outbreaks and on antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. coli. (more) Deadline: Monday, January 9, 2006 Publication Date: Wednesday, December 21, 2005	Jan 9, 2006
	Institute of Food Science and Technology	Cryptosporidium This report provides an overview of Cryptosporidium parvum. It includes a description of cryptosporidiosis, exposure routes, outbreaks, the life cycle, the resistance of oocysts, growth and control measures in food and water, and detection. (more) Publication Month: September 2001	Aug 9, 2002
	Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	Cyclospora Infection or Cyclosporiasis Description of Cyclospora, how it is spread, who is at risk for infection, the symptoms of infection, and diagnosis, treatment, and prevention information for this illness. (more) Publication Month: March 2004	Jun 17, 2002
	Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture	Draft FSIS Microbiological Hazard Identification Guide for Meat and Poultry Components of Products Produced by Very Small Plants Guide on microbiological hazard identification for very small plant operators that was developed in consultation with the Meat and Poultry Subcommittee of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods. It includes descriptions of pathogens of concern, guidance tables on the hazards in various process categories for products, and more. (more) Publication Date: Thursday, August 26, 1999	Jun 18, 2004
	European Mycotoxin Awareness Network	European Mycotoxin Awareness Network Group of European organizations that work to provide scientific information and news related to mycotoxins. The website includes news, tutorials, and basic and expert fact sheets on many aspects of mycotoxins, including analytical methods, HACCP, evaluation and risk, quality assurance, sampling and legislation, and surveillance and occurrence. (more)	Oct 19, 2004
	Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration	Fish and Fisheries Products Hazards and Controls Guidance: Third Edition This report discusses the FDA's thinking on the hazards associated with fish and fishery products and on controls for those hazards. It includes information on developing a HACCP Plan and discussion of such hazards as pathogens from the harvest area, parasites, natural toxins, chemical contaminants, aquaculture drugs, allergens, metal and glass inclusion, and more. (more) Publication Month: June 2001	Aug 7, 2002
	American Medical Association/American Nurses Association-American Nurses Foundation/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration/Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department	Foodborne Illnesses Table: Parasitic Agents This table gives etiology, incubation period, signs and symptoms, duration of illness, associated foods, laboratory testing, and treatment information for Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, Toxoplasma gondii, and Trichinella spiralis. (more) Publication Month: February 2004	Jul 19, 2002
	American Medical Association/American Nurses Association-American Nurses Foundation/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration/Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department	Foodborne Illnesses Table: Viral Agents Table gives etiology, incubation period, signs and symptoms, duration of illness, associated foods, laboratory testing, and treatment of Hepatitis A, noroviruses and other caliciviruses, rotavirus, and other viral agents. (more) Publication Month: February 2004	Jul 19, 2002
	American Medical Association/American Nurses Association-American Nurses Foundation/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration/Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department	Foodborne Illnesses Table: Non-infectious Agents This table gives etiology, incubation period, signs and symptoms, duration of illness, associated foods, laboratory testing, and treatment information for a variety of contaminants, toxins, and residues. (more) Publication Month: February 2004	Jul 19, 2002
	Doyle, Ellin	Foodborne Parasites: A Review of the Scientific Literature This review discusses foodborne parasites and their control in general as well as the effects and occurrence of certain Protozoan parasites, nematodes, trematodes, and cestodes. (more) Publication Month: October 2003	Oct 13, 2004
	Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration	Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook: The "Bad Bug Book" Handbook with information on foodborne pathogenic microorganisms and natural toxins, including information on the associated disease, associated foods, target populations, outbreaks, and more. Appendices include "Infective dose," "Epidemiology summary table," "Factors affecting microbial growth in foods," "Foodborne Disease Outbreaks, United States 1988-1992," and "Additional Foodborne Disease Outbreak Articles and Databases". (more) Publication Month: January 1992	Aug 31, 2001
	Institute of Food Science and Technology	Foodborne Viral Infections Overview of foodborne viral infections, their sources, detection, survival characteristics, and control. Publication Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2001