Risk Factor

A risk factor is a condition, behaviour or circumstance that increases the likelihood of a harmful event or makes its consequences more serious. In food safety, risk factors are practices that can contribute to foodborne illness, such as poor temperature control, inadequate cooking or contaminated equipment.

Common foodborne-illness risk factors

Public-health and food-safety programs commonly identify five important risk factors in food establishments:

• Food from unsafe sources: purchasing or accepting products from unapproved or unreliable suppliers.
• Inadequate cooking: failing to achieve the required time and temperature for the food and hazard.
• Improper holding temperatures: allowing food to remain too long outside required hot- or cold-holding limits.
• Contaminated equipment: using inadequately cleaned or sanitized utensils and food-contact surfaces.
• Poor personal hygiene: inadequate handwashing or unsafe handling by ill employees.

Risk factor versus hazard

A hazard is a biological, chemical, physical or allergen agent or condition that can cause harm. A risk factor is a circumstance or practice that increases the chance that the hazard will cause harm. For example, Salmonella is a biological hazard; inadequate cooking is a risk factor that can allow exposure.

Chef’s tip: Use inspections, temperature records, employee training and incident reviews to identify recurring risk factors in the actual operation. Correct the process rather than relying only on reminders.

Key distinction: A risk factor increases the likelihood or impact of harm; it is not necessarily the hazard itself.