2. INNOVATION IN RISK ASSESSMENTAnticipating impact of innovations and new technologies on integrated risk assessment
This research stream shall consider what impact new knowledge and tools may bring to risk assessment of food safety, so to be prepared for the future. The current risk assessment paradigm is challenged by recent scientific and technical advances, and public demands. The current approach is considered too resource‐intensive, is mostly animal‐based and can raise issues in terms of reproducibility and ethics. A paradigm shift is required to deliver testing strategies that enable reliable, animal‐free hazard and risk assessments, which are based on a mechanistic understanding of chemical toxicity. Increasingly, we see that different compartments are interlinked, and understand the importance of a OneHealth approach.
Themes	Impact
Integrated approaches for chemical and microbiological hazards and antimicrobial resistance	Apply an integrated risk assessment approach on chemical and biological hazards including social and environmental factors based on a ‘One Health’ approach Have means to identify emerging chemical and biological risks at global level and propose prevention strategies Identify potential hazards associated with antibiotic resistant species present in food of non‐animal origin and the environment Using standardised and validated analytical and sequencing methodologies and tailored tools to use Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis for risk assessment purposes Integration of molecular data (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) in microbiological risk assessment
Integrating new technologies in risk and safety assessment	New methodologies: integrated non‐animal testing, integrated exposure assessment, new approach methodologies based on in silico and in vitro approaches, mechanistic information (e.g. Adverse Outcome Pathway, impact of regulated products) Facilitate the paradigm shift in terms of gathering/accessing new data and re‐engineering/making better use of available ones Develop approaches to assess the health relevance of changes in the microbiome Incorporate knowledge from interindividual variabilities in metabolism and susceptibility in population‐based assessment
Integrating new knowledge in risk and safety assessment	To have measures from biomonitoring, microbiome and exposome analysis that reflects consumer ‘real life’ exposure To develop methodologies for the safety assessment of the combined exposure and effect of multiple chemicals in food To integrate knowledge generated by the new technologies into risk assessment and regulatory processes
Integrated approaches to pests and diseases in plants and animal production	Have a holistic approach on assessing the environmental impact of farming practices, crop threats (e.g. plant pests and diseases, climate change effects as droughts, floods etc.) and threat mitigation measures (e.g. PPP, resistant plant varieties, fertilisers, irrigation, etc.) to biodiversity and ecosystem services
Integrating outcomes of human and environmental risk assessment	Have indicators for ‘chemical, microbial and overall safety’ of food products, and for sustainability of ‘safe food production’ Have a systems approach to environmental risk assessment Understand the dynamics of micro‐/nano‐plastics in food chain and impacts on health Develop landscape‐based environmental scenarios for non‐target organisms and the impact of regulated stressors Ability to assess safety and human and environmental impact of technologies such as nanomaterials and synthetic biology Develop tools to consider protein toxicity and allergenicity