Public Health Risk-benefit Assessment Associated with Food Consumption–A Review

Background: In the food safety field, risk assessment, including microbial and chemical components, has been applied for many years. However, a whole and integrated public health assessment also depends on the nutritional composition of food. While the fact that foods and diets can be a source of both risks and benefits now appears undisputed, carrying out a risk-benefit assessment (RBA) is still an emerging and challenging scientific subject.
Aims: The purpose of the present review was to synthesize RBA studies associated with food consumption and to summarize the current methodological options and/or tendencies carried out in this field.
Methods: The different data sources explored included around 20 accessible databases using the main terms “risk”, “benefit” and “food” as keyword enquiries in article title and full-text. The initial research process led to 3293 screened papers, 160 of which were examined in detail.
Results: There were 126 articles dealing with RBA studies and 34 with the RBA methodological framework. Most of the available papers dealt with the comparison of nutritional beneficial effects and chemical adverse effects related to fish consumption. The majority of studies undertook a comparison of consumer exposure to risks and benefits with regard to reference safety values. However, more varied studies have emerged during the last 15 years, contributing to the diversification and the development of this issue.
Conclusion: RBA appears to be a promising scientific discipline and should be the next step in assessing the overall impact of food on health.