Hazard

The inherent potential of a substance, organism, activity, or situation to cause harm.

Hazard describes what can cause harm, rather than how likely that harm is to occur in a particular situation. For example, a chemical may have toxic properties and therefore constitute a hazard, but the actual risk to a person depends on exposure and dose.

In food safety, hazards can be chemical, biological, physical, or other types depending on the context.

COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH

  • Risk: the possibility and severity of harm occurring under particular exposure conditions.
  • Exposure: contact with a hazard or substance.

SEE ALSO

Clinical & Educational Context

Discussed in Health Articles & Guides

Explore how "Hazard" is covered across our evidence-based editorial guides:

3 Articles
Health in the Wild

Food Packaging: Unexpected Food Safety Risks you need to know

These terms are important because hazard and risk are not the same thing.
The Hard Parts of Medicine

Polypharmacy: What Really Happens When You Take Multiple Medicines

Illness, environmental hazards, visual impairment, and other factors may contribute.
Health in the Wild

Noise Pollution 101: Everything You Need to Know

What matters is that the health effects of noise extend beyond the question, “Could this damage my hearing?” Noise is an environmental exposure, not...