A Comparative Analysis of Risk-Based Food Safety Inspection Methods Across EU Countries and Canada

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Food Science
• Regulatory Affairs

Background:

• Global trade expansion and new food products increase food safety risks and foodborne illnesses.
• Risk-based inspections are vital for food safety control amid limited regulatory resources.
• Lack of transparency in current methods hinders international learning and improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and compare risk-based food safety inspection methods in nine EU countries and Canada.
• To identify key risk factors, categorization processes, and common challenges in current inspection frameworks.
• To provide insights for developing and refining future risk-based inspection strategies.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of risk-based inspection methods across nine EU countries and Canada.
• Qualitative data collection through expert interviews.
• Document analysis of existing regulatory frameworks and inspection guidelines.

Main Results:

• Inherent and compliance-related factors are primary considerations in risk assessment.
• Mitigating factors and subjective elements like food safety culture are underutilized.
• Two main categorization processes identified: two-layer grouping and single-layer scoring, with the latter offering more flexibility.

Conclusions:

• Existing risk-based inspection methods can be improved by better integrating mitigating and subjective factors.
• The single-layer scoring process allows for more comprehensive risk factor inclusion.
• Actionable insights are provided to enhance risk-based inspections, promote harmonization, and reduce global food safety risks.