QMRA Workshop
Quantitative Chemical Risk Assessment (QCRA) – Executive Course for Regulatory Decision-Making
Modern food safety decisions increasingly require regulators to translate complex science into proportionate, transparent, and defensible regulatory outcomes. While technical guidance exists, many decision-makers face challenges in interpreting risk assessments, understanding their limitations, and using them effectively in standards-setting, approvals, and trade contexts. This executive course provides a coherent, end-to-end view of chemical risk assessment, from hazard identification through hazard characterization, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. The training is highly practical and non-black-box, using real datasets, daily modelling challenges, and guided exercises to ensure immediate transfer to professional practice. Participants also learn how to analyze sensitivity and scenarios, and how to transparently communicate uncertainty and variability for risk-informed decision-making.
This workshop is a high-return capacity-building investment, equipping institutions with practical QMRA expertise aligned with international best practice.
General information
Date: 14-18 September 2026
Duration: 1 week
Delivery type: in person
Location: NTU - Singapore
Cost: USD 1,250
Course content
The course follows the full risk assessment continuum, with a strong executive and regulatory focus:
Regulatory Foundations
· Risk analysis principles (Codex / FAO / WHO)
· Regulatory roles of hazard identification, hazard characterization, exposure assessment, and risk characterization
Hazard Identification & Hazard Characterization
· Lines of evidence in hazard identification
· Dose–response concepts and Health Bases Guidance Values (ADI, ARfD, BMDL)
· Strengths, limitations, and interpretation of toxicological and human data
Exposure Assessment for Decision-Making
· Consumption data and population coverage: what matters for regulators
· Occurrence data, censored data (LOD/LOQ), and representativeness
· Variability vs uncertainty and implications for regulatory conclusions
Risk Characterization
· Integrating hazard and exposure information
· Deterministic vs probabilistic outputs: when each is appropriate
· Interpreting percentiles, exceedances, and confidence bounds
From Science to Regulatory Action
· Risk characterization in Codex and national decision-making
· Case studies (contaminants, residues, novel ingredients)
· Executive discussion: what makes a risk assessment decision-ready?
Target participants
This course is designed for senior-level professionals involved in food safety governance, including:
· National and regional regulators
· Government risk assessors and risk managers
· Codex delegates and technical advisors
· Senior scientists supporting regulatory and trade decisions
Prerequisites
Participants should have a background in food safety or public health, a basic understanding of risk assessment and statistics, and some familiarity with R or statistical software. The course is intended for professionals ready to engage in hands-on quantitative modelling.
Participants who require a refresher in statistics and R may attend optional online preparatory sessions (5 sessions of 2 hours each), including individual one-on-one follow-up.
Fee: USD 250 per participant.
Certificates
Participants will receive a certificate of participation upon completion of the course.
Those seeking academic or university equivalence may opt to sit a formal assessment to certify their learning outcomes; a minimum score of 80% is required for certification.