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Announcement
Signalement — L’AGASA informe le public que les produits « Bio Herbs Coffee », « Bio Herbs Café Docteur Secret » et « DR’S Secret » contiennent du tadalafil non déclaré, présentant un risque pour la santé. Leur retrait immédiat du marché est demandé. Toute personne détenant ces produits est invitée à les signaler au 1411. Consultez le communiqué officiel pour plus d’informations.

Risk assessment

Anticipating risks to better protect public health

Food safety is a major public health issue. Through the Directorate of Health and Phytosanitary Risk Assessment (DERSP), the Gabonese Food Safety Agency (AGASA) implements scientific analysis mechanisms aimed at preventing hazards that may affect human, animal and plant health.

Risk assessment is based on a rigorous scientific approach to identify, analyse and measure potential impacts related to food, phytosanitary products and environmental factors that may influence food safety.

Why assess risks?

Risk assessment makes it possible to:

  • ✔Prevent health and nutritional risks related to food;
  • ✔Protect consumer health against biological, chemical or physical hazards;
  • ✔Strengthen national food safety through continuous scientific monitoring;
  • ✔Support public decision-making on reliable technical and scientific grounds;
  • ✔Ensure the sanitary compliance of products and processes.

This approach helps sustainably preserve public health while promoting a safer food environment.

The 4 key steps of risk assessment

Health and phytosanitary risk assessment relies on a scientific process structured in four essential steps:

  1. 1. Hazard identification

    Detection of agents likely to cause adverse health effects: biological contaminants (viruses, bacteria, parasites), chemical substances, residues or physical agents.

  2. 2. Hazard characterization

    Analysis of the nature of the hazard and its potential effects on human, animal or plant health.

  3. 3. Exposure assessment

    Measurement of the probability and level of population exposure to identified hazards, according to dietary habits and consumption conditions.

  4. 4. Risk characterization

    Overall assessment of the risk level to determine appropriate prevention or management measures.

Understanding the difference between hazard and risk

It is important to distinguish:

Hazard: a biological, chemical or physical agent that can cause an adverse effect.

Risk: the probability that an individual will be exposed to that hazard and suffer its effects.

A hazard does not automatically imply a high risk: everything depends on the level of exposure.

Did you know?

« Zero risk » does not exist

No health system can completely eliminate risks. This is why risk analysis remains essential to anticipate effects that are:

  • immediate,
  • intermediate,
  • and long-term on human health.

When available scientific data remains limited or uncertain, the precautionary principle is applied to ensure consumer protection.

Missions of DERSP

The Directorate of Health and Phytosanitary Risk Assessment (DERSP) is notably responsible for the following missions:

  • ✔Assess and prevent health and nutritional risks related to food;
  • ✔Conduct scientific studies and analyses to support public decision-making;
  • ✔Approve the technical and sanitary feasibility of projects within its area of competence;
  • ✔Develop and update a national database on food and health risks;
  • ✔Participate in sanitary certification procedures, including issuance, suspension or withdrawal, in accordance with applicable regulations;
  • ✔Ensure continuous health and phytosanitary monitoring to detect emerging threats.

Our commitment

Through DERSP, AGASA works daily for safer food, better risk prevention and strengthened protection of the health of populations in Gabon.