Grain & Oilseed Risk Assessment Module

This module will introduce you to food safety hazards that may be present in the grain supply chain with a specific focus on grain and oilseeds. This grain module is brought to you by the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative, and was produced by the former Crop Adviser Institute.

Click here to access the Grain & Oilseed Risk Assessment Module

Learning objective: Be able to define risk management framework according to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. Recognize sources of harm, risk, likelihood, and severity. Identify the occurrence of food safety risks and evaluate risk control strategies.

Introduction: Generally, grain and oilseeds do not have a lot of factors which make them high risk in terms of food safety. However, poor handling practices, weather issues, and improper storage procedures can increase the likelihood of certain hazards, notably mycotoxins.

Harm: The first part of risk is harm. Harm in grain can be classified in four ways: microbiological, chemical, physical, and the potential of an allergen (for food uses). Most microbiological hazards can be eliminated with heat treatment or processing. By law, chemically treated seed cannot be in the grain supply chain. Seeds leftover after planting must be disposed of according to specified protocols. Proper sanitation will prevent physical sources of harm and allergen potential. Mycotoxin management is the most complex risk issue in grains.

Severity estimates: The second part of risk is the level of severity. To measure severity, factors are number of deaths, the type of injury or disability, whether hospitalization was required, and whether the injury is permanent or temporary. Remember that grain and oilseeds contribute to raw ingredients for hundreds of human and animal products.

Supporting information:

Risk Assessment Framework

Pages / Length:
Publication Date: 09/2016

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