Category: European Food Safety Authority
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EFSA Provides Opinions on Animal Welfare in Transport to Food Processing Facilities
The European Food Safety Authority has issued several opinions, in keeping with its Farm to Fork Strategy, that provide guidance on compliance when transporting animals to food processing facilities and slaughterhouses. The opinions identify possible hazards to animal welfare in transport and provide information on combating disease or other disorders that would threaten animal welfare.…
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EFSA Completes Added Sugars Assessment
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has completed a “comprehensive safety assessment of sugars in the diet and their potential links to health problems.” The assessment aimed to set a tolerable upper intake level for dietary sugars, but the panel was unable to reach a conclusion. According to the assessment’s plain language summary, “the risk…
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EFSA Launches Glyphosate Consultation
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) have begun consultations seeking scientific evaluations of glyphosate. “The classification of chemicals is based solely on the hazardous properties of a substance and does not take into account the use or likelihood of exposure to the substance,” the announcement notes. “Exposure is considered…
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EU Study Finds GMO Legislation Not Fit for Purpose
An EU study has examined New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), which can create genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and their potential effects on creating a sustainable food system in Europe. In a press release, Commissioner for Heath and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides said, “The study we publish today concludes that New Genomic Techniques can promote the sustainability…
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EFSA Issues Guidance on Date-Marking Additions
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued guidance with information advising food business operators on what information should be included on frozen food packaging. The guidance suggests when additional food-safety information should be included, such as a note to only thaw the necessary amount of food and to break up large pieces that have…
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EFSA Releases Guidance on Allergen Labeling, GMOs, Infant Formula, More
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released several guidance documents to aid stakeholders in complying with EU regulations on food issues implemented on March 27, 2021. The publications provide guidance on: Applying for an exemption from mandatory food allergen labeling; Renewing applications for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food and feed; Preparing applications for…
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EFSA Issues Guidance on Smoke Flavoring
The European Food Safety Authority has issued scientific guidance on the inclusion of smoke flavoring in food products. The guidance includes notes on the characterization of the flavoring, proposed uses, exposure assessments and safety data. Smoke flavoring has increasingly been a target of putative class actions in the United States, including lawsuits targeting smoked gouda…
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EFSA Sets Tolerable Intake of PFAS
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released its assessment of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—a group of chemicals that can be found in food and food packaging—and their potential risks to human health. The agency has set the threshold for a group tolerable weekly intake of 4.4 nanograms per kilogram of body weight. EFSA noted that…