EU countries are being urged to step up surveillance and biosecurity measures to guard against possible new outbreaks of avian influenza this year. The warning follows outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) among wild and domestic birds in …
EFSA has set a new safety threshold for the main perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, that accumulate in the body. The threshold – a group tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 4.4 nanograms per kilogram of body weight per week – is part of a scientific opinion …
EFSA has begun a major campaign to raise awareness and help halt the spread of African swine fever in south-east Europe. The campaign is aimed at countries that in 2019 EFSA identified as collectively comprising a “region of concern” because of their …
EFSA has assessed the risks to human and animal health related to the presence of glycoalkaloids in food and feed, particularly in potatoes and products derived from potatoes. Glycoalkaloids are naturally occurring compounds found in the Solanaceae family …
The timing of EFSA’s assessment of the safety of dietary sugars has been revised due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the review of the exceptionally high volume of scientific information being considered. A public consultation on the draft …
EFSA has completed a comprehensive analysis of the available scientific evidence on bee mortality, as part of its ongoing review of the guidance for assessing risks to bees from pesticides. The report published today is based on the largest systematic …
EFSA is setting up a stakeholder consultative group to support its upcoming work on the allergenicity assessment of genetically modified (GM) plants. The group will be consulted at various stages during the process and will provide input to the EFSA …
Some nutrients are regulated under different legal frameworks for use in products such as food additives and pesticides. A draft approach out for public consultation today, aims to integrate and harmonise how EFSA’s scientists assess the intake of these …
The 2020 edition of the Parma Summer School, organised by EFSA and the School of Advanced Studies on Food and Nutrition of the University of Parma, in collaboration with the Catholic University Sacro Cuore of Piacenza, was delivered as a 3D virtual event …
Most of the hazards related to welfare of pigs at slaughter are due to inadequate staff skills and poorly designed and constructed facilities. That is one of the main conclusions of EFSA’s latest advice on welfare of animals during the slaughter process. …
“Food safety is EFSA’s daily job, but it’s everyone’s business to consider food safety now and in the future if we want to limit the impact of climate change and to build sustainable global food systems for the benefit of consumers, producers and our …
EFSA has published a scientific opinion on public health risks related to the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in food – a mycotoxin naturally produced by moulds that can be found in a variety of foodstuffs including cereals, preserved meats, fresh and dried …
The globalisation of trade combined with the boom in travel and movement of people mean that plant pests can travel from one side of the globe to the other in a matter of days. So how do risk assessors and plant health officers keep track of the pests of …
Why is EFSA working on cumulative risk assessment? Risks to consumers from the presence of pesticide residues in food are currently estimated substance by substance. However, a number of pesticides have similar effects and their impact on human health …
EFSA has published the results of its two pilot assessments on the risks posed to humans by residues of multiple pesticides in food. The assessments – one considering chronic effects on the thyroid system and the other acute effects on the nervous system – …
Thirty-seven new plant species have been identified as hosts of the Xylella fastidiosa pathogen. Most were naturally (not artificially) infected and were found both in EU countries (France, Italy, Portugal and Spain) and non-EU countries (USA and Iran). …
The first batch of EFSA’s plant pest survey cards are now available in an easy-to-use interactive format. Ten of the existing 28 cards – which are designed to help EU Member States plan their annual survey of quarantine pests – have been published as …
The 2020 edition of the Parma Summer School, organised by EFSA and the School of Advanced Studies on Food and Nutrition of the University of Parma, in collaboration with the Catholic University Sacro Cuore of Piacenza, will be delivered as a virtual event …
EFSA has assessed the risks to public health from Listeria contamination of vegetables that are blanched – scalded in hot water or steam for a short time – before they are frozen. They conclude that the risks associated with the consumption of these …
EFSA has launched its latest call for partnering grant proposals from EU Member State organisations operating across the Authority’s remit. Proposals should aim to: Promote the transfer/exchange of knowledge in priority areas of work for EFSA (as laid down …
