Methods are available to assess the risks associated with various activities, with varying degrees of reliability. Risk assessment is essential to the understanding of the safety of food. Attempts to understand the nature and magnitude of harm associated with the consumption of food falls within the realm of risk assessment. The knowledge that food consumption is essential for life influences every risk management decision. Provided with adequate knowledge of the risks and benefits, it would then, theoretically, be possible to ensure that every food safety decision would reduce the overall risks. This paper reviews the content of risk assessment, sources of food-related risks, risk-based decision making, and the measurement and validation of analytical methods. References