MPI risk profiles provide a summary of relevant information on a food safety issue associated with a specific hazard/food combination. They are primarily intended to guide initial risk management activities in respect of that issue, in keeping with MPI's Standards Risk Management Decisions Process.
Risk profiles are a practical tool for risk managers. To this end, the documents are analytical and concise and offer more specific information than a hazard data sheet. They are structured in 7 parts.
- Executive summary – gives a statement of the scientific evidence about the risk to human health of the combination of food and the hazard that are the subject of the risk profile, including a critical evaluation of current data.
- Statement of purpose – describes the food/hazard combination, the context and reasons for preparing the risk profile.
- Hazard and food – outlines the food and the hazard that are the subject of the risk profile. Also included is information that has a bearing on controlling the risk, such as sources of the food, contamination pathways, exposure and other factors.
- Evaluation of adverse health effects – offers an evaluation of the risks to human health by drawing on human health surveillance data from New Zealand and other countries.
- Evaluation of risk – brings together critical scientific information about the risk, a commentary on the burden of foodborne illness in New Zealand and the food source attribution, and concludes with a summary of the foodborne human health risk.
- Availability of control measures – includes information about current control measures, their effectiveness and additional options for controlling the risk.
- Appendices – offer relevant background or generic information to support the information in the risk profile.
