Identifying and assessing food risks - across national borders: Under the slogan "from experts to experts", the BfR Summer Academy celebrates its tenth anniversary. From September 5 to 16, 2022, 400 international scientists will discuss the assessment and communication of health risks in the food sector. After all, melons and beef steaks often cross several countries before they end up on supermarket shelves. At the Summer Academy, participants will learn which risks may be involved and how they can be limited and communicated. "We have to look at consumer health protection across the globe," says BfR President Dr Dr Andreas Hensel. "That makes networking and exchanging ideas even more important. At the Summer Academy, participants can enhance their qualifications on the topic of food safety and learn from each other so that they can work together even better in the future."
More information on the BfR Summer Academy:
Whether Azerbaijan, Honduras, Kuwait, Sri Lanka or Thailand - BfR Summer Academy participants come from 65 countries around the globe. This years event, which will be held digitally, is designed to enable scientists not only to conduct health risk assessments themselves, moreover, to pass on this knowledge within their countries of origin.
In the first week, the basics of risk assessment and risk communication as well as insights into the German and European legal framework are taught. The aim is to assess the extent and significance of a health risk and to communicate it in a consumer-friendly way. In the second week, workshops on exposure assessment, microbiological and chemical risk assessment and risk communication will be held.
Speakers include experts from the BfR, the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and the Chilean Authority for Food Safety and Quality (ACHIPIA).
The BfR Summer Academy contributes to the worldwide dissemination of the European system of health-related risk assessment and the international harmonization of standards.. This is done against the background that most countries worldwide import and export food and animal feed. At the same time, the diversity of food products is constantly increasing with international commodity chains, thus the requirements for scientific assessment and communication of potential health risks are also increasing. The high European standards, regulations and knowledge of food quality, safety and hygiene are therefore of particular importance.
The BfR Summer Academy has been taking place since 2012. Since then, more than 800 scientists from more than 70 different countries have participated in the training.
About the BfR
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). It advises the Federal Government and the federal states on questions of food, chemical and product safety. The BfR conducts independent research on topics that areclosely linked to its assessment tasks.
This text version is a translation of the original German text which is the only legally binding version.