An Interagency Workgroup report entitled “Microbial Risk Assessment Guidelines for Pathogenic Microorganisms With Focus on Food and Water is available from EPA by clicking here. The preface of the reportnoted this Microbial Risk Assessment (MRA) guideline is written by microbial risk assessors at USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and serves as a resource for these agencies, their agents, contractors, and stakeholders.
This guideline emphasizes the need for a flexible framework for conducting microbial risk assessment and provides general, broad fundamental risk assessment principles specifically for microbial risks, but as a guideline it is not prescriptive nor does it supplant the internal practices or policies of any federal agency. Users have the flexibility to adapt pertinent sections to relevant statutory authorities and purposes if needed. The intended audience is individuals with some knowledge of microbiology and basic understanding of risk assessment principles. This guidance may be periodically updated, particularly as more information becomes available.
