Risk Assessment


	The Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis (ORACBA) was established by the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-354, H.R.4271, Section 304). ORACBA began operation on April 15, 1995, in USDA's Office of the Chief Economist. The Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis's (ORACBA) primary role is to ensure that major regulations proposed by USDA are based on sound scientific and economic analysis. A major regulation concerns human, health, safety or the environment and has an annual economic impact of at least $100 million in 1994 dollars. For such regulations, ORACBA conducts a thorough analysis that makes clear the nature of the risk, alternative ways of reducing it, the reasoning that justifies the proposed rule, and a comparison of the likely costs and benefits of reducing the risk. ORACBA will provide guidance and technical assistance, coordinate risk analysis work across the Department, and certify that statutory requirements are met.



	ORACBA NEWS Science, Policy and Risk Forum Estimation of cancer risks and benefits associated with a potential increased consumption of fruits and vegetables Rick Reiss, Principal Scientist, Exponent September 25, 2012 10:00 am – 11:30 am Room 4433, South Building Presented by: USDA Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis and the National Capital Area Chapter of the Society for Risk Analysis This presentation provides an analysis of the potential number of cancer cases that might be prevented if half the U.S. population increased its fruit and vegetable consumption by one serving each per day. This number is contrasted with an upper-bound estimate of concomitant cancer cases that might be theoretically attributed to the intake of pesticide residues arising from the same additional fruit and vegetable consumption. The cancer prevention estimates were derived using a published meta-analysis of nutritional epidemiology studies. The cancer risks were estimated using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methods, cancer potency estimates from rodent bioassays, and pesticide residue sampling data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The resulting estimates are that approximately 20,000 cancer cases per year could be prevented by increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, while up to 10 cancer cases per year could be caused by the added pesticide consumption. These estimates have significant uncertainties (e.g., potential residual confounding in the fruit and vegetable epidemiologic studies and reliance on rodent bioassays for cancer risk). However, the overwhelming difference between benefit and risk estimates provides confidence that consumers should not be concerned about cancer risks from consuming conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables. Dr. Reiss is a principal scientist at Exponent. He is an environmental health scientist with expertise in risk assessment, exposure assessment, environmental chemistry and fate, mathematical modeling, and applied statistics. Government employees, please bring your government ID. If you are not a government employee, please call (202-720-8022) or e-mail Jennifer Lohr (jlohr@oce.usda.gov) or Linda Abbott (labbott@oce.usda.gov) to register. You will need to bring a picture ID and be escorted to Room 4433. Enter the South Building at the Wing 1 entrance at 12th and Independence (next to the entrance for the Smithsonian Metro station using the “Independence Ave” exit). Room 4433 is on the 4th floor, 4th Wing. ORACBA to present at the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) Annual Meeting, December 9-12, 2012: Eliza Mojduszka, ORACBA Economist and Linda Abbott, ORACBA Risk Scientist: Retrospective review of the special supplemental nutritional program for women, infants and children (WIC) Linda Abbott, ORACBA Risk Scientist and James Schaub: Using a systems approach to retrospective regulatory review: quantifying economic impact and potential risk reduction due to cumulative regulatory actions in an agricultural watershed in Washington Mark Powell, ORACBA Risk Scientist: Optimal Food Safety Sampling Under a Budget Constraint If you would like to join the ORACBA mailing list, please send an e-mail to Jennifer Lohr at jlohr@oce.usda.gov. In the subject line type Mailing List, in the body type your name, organization and phone number.

	Last Modified: 09/18/2012


	Risk Calendar
	Risk Forum
	Activities
	Reports/Papers
	Resources