FSANZ Dietary Modelling Review
In 2007 we reviewed our dietary exposure assessment principles, modelling procedures and supporting systems. This was to ensure FSANZ continues to produce robust dietary exposure assessments, using international best practice approaches. The review was initiated under the FSANZ Science Strategy for 2006-2009, which aims to enhance our scientific capabilities. The review did not cover dietary exposure assessments of microbiological hazards.
As a part of the review, an international expert in the area of dietary exposure assessment considered all aspects of our dietary modelling procedures, as well as outcomes and reporting. The peer reviewer’s conclusions were, overall, very positive about FSANZ’s dietary modelling capability and practices, finding them consistent with international best practice. They also included some recommendations to further enhance our practices. You can read the recommendations here .
FSANZ has considered the recommendations and initiated strategies for implementing them. To assist us in this, we established an Advisory Group of external stakeholders, with a broad range of expertise relating to dietary modelling. FSANZ has also run a number of workshops during 2006-2008 to help stakeholders understand more about our dietary modelling process, data sets, methodologies and outputs.
FSANZ has begun to implement the recommendations from the international peer reviewer where possible, including providing a range of updated documents and fact sheets on our dietary exposure assessments.
We have already introduced one of the review’s recommendations, on how to report high consumers’ chronic dietary exposure. This change was endorsed by the FSANZ Board. To read more about this change click HERE
You can find out more detail about all our dietary modelling practices in the paper Principles and Practices of Dietary Exposure Assessments for Food Regulatory Purposes HERE