Category: European Food Safety Authority
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EFSA Warns of Glycerol-Based Contaminants in Vegetable Oils
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) has issued a scientific opinion assessing the human health risks of free and esterified 3- and 2-monochloropropane-1, 2-diol (MCPD) and glycidyl esters (GE) in food. According to CONTAM, which considered 7,175 occurrence data, “esters of 3- and 2-MCPD and glycidyl esters…
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European Court Finds EU Stance on Sugar Precludes Glucose Health Claims
The EU General Court has confirmed a European Commission decision finding that German company Dextro Energy’s health claims for its glucose supplements are contrary to the messages of national and international authorities on the health risks associated with sugar consumption. The commission decided the issue in January 2015 despite advice from the European Food Safety…
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#EFSA4Bees Takes Holistic Approach to Improving Bee Health
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched a website and blog “dedicated to its work on bee health.” Dubbed the #EFSA- 4Bees campaign, the new site is part of the agency’s MUST-B project, a collaborative venture among researchers, data analysts and regulators “with the ultimate goal of developing a software tool that can assess…
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EFSA Seeks Input on Exposure Assessments for Food Enzymes
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavorings and Processing Aids (CEF) has announced a public consultation on its draft statement on exposure assessment of food enzymes. Recognizing the difficulty in applying current exposure assessment guidelines to food enzymes, which are added during processing of food and food ingredients, the…
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EFSA Seeks to Revise Consumer Exposure Estimates for Food Contact Materials
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavorings and Processing Aids (CEF Panel) has issued a scientific opinion recommending revisions to the safety assessments conducted for food contact materials (FCM). After considering scientific comments received during public consultation, the CEF Panel advocates new standards for estimating food intake and calculating…
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EFSA Backs Safety of UV-Treated Milk
Responding to a novel food application submitted pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 258/97, the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) has verified the safety of cow’s milk treated with ultraviolet (UV) radiation to extend its shelf life. According to the NDA, the UV treatment increased the milk’s D3…
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EFSA Sets Dietary Reference Values for Iron and Copper
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA Panel) has issued two scientific opinions deriving dietary reference values (DRVs) for iron and copper. After estimating whole-body iron losses and absorption values for men and women, the panel set the population reference intake (PRI) at 11 mg/ day for men…
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EFSA Risk Profile Assesses Use of Insect Protein in Food and Feed
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued a scientific opinion assessing any potential risks associated with the use of insect protein in food and animal feed. Concluding that chemical and biological risks depend on production method, the type of substrate used, and insect species, the expert panel specifically notes that “the occurrence of prions—abnormal…