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In the fields of food safety, plant and animal health protection, the need for taking precautionary actions in the face of scientific uncertainty has long been widely accepted. There may be instances when a sudden outbreak of an animal disease, for example, is suspected of being linked to imports, and trade restrictions must be immediately imposed while further information about the source of the outbreak and its extent are gathered. The discipline of risk assessment, one of the basic obligations of the SPS Agreement, was developed to guide action in the face of incomplete knowledge about risks to health. It focuses on probabilities of hazards occurring, and the probable consequences, because complete knowledge is very rare. Furthermore, it is virtually impossible to scientifically prove the "safety" of a food or product, rather scientists seek evidence of any harm.
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