Category: European Food Safety Authority
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EFSA Investigates Long-Term Dietary Exposure to Chlorate
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM Panel) has issued a scientific opinion assessing the health risks of acute and chronic dietary exposure to chlorate, “a byproduct when using chlorine, chlorine dioxide or hypochlorite for the disinfection of drinking water, water for food production and surfaces coming into contact…
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EFSA Guidance Addresses “Strengthened” GM Risk Assessments
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Scientific Committee has published guidance for renewing “applications of genetically modified [GM] food and feed authorized under Regulation (EC) No. 1829/2003.” Describing “the data requirements for renewal applications, “ the guidance directs applicants seeking reauthorization of GM food and feed products to provide the following: (i) “a copy of…
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EFSA Confirms Scientific Opinion on Acrylamide
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) has released its final scientific opinion on acrylamide, concluding that dietary exposure to the substance “potentially increases the risk of developing cancer for consumers in all age groups.” Naturally formed in starchy food products during high-temperature cooking, acrylamide is digested and distributed…
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EFSA Finalizes Caffeine Risk Assessment
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published its final caffeine risk assessment, concluding that “single doses of caffeine up to 200 mg” and “habitual caffeine consumption up to 400 mg per day does not give rise to safety concerns for non-pregnant adults.” Following a two-month consultation, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and…
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Allergenicity of GMOs Focus of EFSA Workshop
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has announced a June 17, 2015, workshop in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss supplementary guidance for the allergenicity assessment of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). According to the agency, the supplementary guidance aims to reflect technological and scientific advances as well as assessment methodologies developed since EFSA finalized the current guidance…
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Criteria to Identify Endocrine Disruptors Focus of Upcoming EC Conference
The European Commission (EC) is convening a meeting to “inform Member States, Members of the European Parliament, third country representatives and stakeholders about the ongoing impact assessment on criteria to identify endocrine disruptors and to provide a platform for further exchanges of views” on June 1, 2015, at the Centre Albert Burschette in Brussels, Belgium.…
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EFSA Says No Evidence of Ebola Risk from Food
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has reportedly concluded that “[t]here is no evidence that the Ebola virus can be transmitted through food in the European Union.” At the request of the European Commission, EFSA issued a scientific report detailing the risk pathway for the transmission of Zaïre Ebola virus (ZEBOV) via imported food consumed…
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DTU’s National Food Institute Rejects EFSA’s Assessment of Bisphenol A
The Technical University of Denmark’s (DTU’s) National Food Institute has rejected the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) recent bisphenol A (BPA) assessment, claiming that the agency’s decision to set the tolerable daily intake (TDI) at 4 micrograms per kilogram body weight per day does not adequately protect consumers. After examining EFSA’s toxicological evaluation, National Food Institute’s…