THe EFSA has announced a call for abstract submissions for consideration at EFSA’s 25th Scientific Colloquium “A coordinated approach to assess the human health risks of micro- and nanoplastics in food”. Scientific colloquium Microplastics are small particles of plastic less than 5mm in size; nanoplastics are even smaller, ranging from 1 to 100 nanometres (N.B. 1 […]
Food fraud: Council adopts conclusions
The Council has adopted conclusions on further steps to improve ways of tackling and deterring fraudulent practices in the agro-food chain. Objectives In its conclusions the Council recalls that a high level of protection is an overall objective of EU policies concerning health, safety, environmental protection and consumer protection, and recognises that the current EU legal framework on tackling food […]
Webinar: Testing the study appraisal methodology for the re-evaluation of BPA safety
On 19 September 2019, the EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP Panel) endorsed the technical report entitled “Testing the study appraisal methodology from the 2017 BPA hazard assessment protocol”. This report focuses on the performance of the study appraisal methodology, as published in the 2017 protocol, when tested on a […]
AI technologies ensure food transparency in the hospitality, catering and healthcare industries
More than 17 million Europeans suffer from a food allergy, with 70 % of allergic reactions occurring outside the home. Those involved in the food industry face challenges as they attempt to provide total food and ingredient transparency. An EU-funded project has a solution. The European Food Information Council has replaced seven and amended two […]
Public consultation: chlorinated paraffins in food and feed
EFSA is seeking feedback from interested parties on its scientific opinion about the risks to human and animal health related to the presence of chlorinated paraffins in food and feed. Chlorinated paraffins have been produced since the 1930s for a variety of purposes and are used as additives in lubricants, flame retardants in the rubber […]
Europeans on today’s food issues: new EU-wide survey comes out
Two in 5 Europeans take a personal interest in food safety and only 1 in 5 say it is their main concern when choosing food. For most Europeans it is one of several factors – together with price, taste, nutrition and food origin – that influence their eating habits and food choices. These are some […]
Agriculture: No cure for Xylella pest, measures are crucial
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has updated its assessment of the risks posed by Xylella fastidiosa to plants and crops in the European Union. The new assessment provides new insights and conclusions on controlling existing outbreaks of this pest and preventing further spread in the EU. EFSA’s Plant Health Panel (PLH) used computer modelling to simulate […]
Dual Food Quality: Commission releases study assessing differences in the composition of EU food products
Recently, the Commission published the results of a pan-European testing campaign of food products showing that some products are identically or similarly branded while having a different composition. Since his State of the Union Address in 2017, President Jean-Claude Juncker has been committed to addressing the issue of dual quality of products. The European Commission […]
Quinolizidine alkaloids in food and feed opinion – have your say on draft
EFSA is publicly consulting on its scientific opinion on the risks for animal and human health related to the presence of quinolizidine alkaloids in food and feed. Quinolizidine alkaloids are naturally occurring compounds that can be present in lupin seeds. If these alkaloids are not properly removed in a “debittering process”, they can trigger poisoning […]