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Food Additives and Flavourings

The Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF)* evaluates the safety of chemical substances added to food and consumer exposure to them. The Panel's work mainly concerns substances evaluated by EFSA before their use can be authorised in the EU.

FAF Panel Members are scientists from across Europe with expertise in:

  • Chemical risk assessment and safety assessment of food additives and flavouring substances
  • Toxicology (mammalian): sub-chronic and chronic toxicity (repeated dose studies), genotoxicity and mutagenicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, carcinogenicity, allergenicity and immunotoxicity
  • Toxicity testing in experimental animals and alternative toxicity testing
  • Toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics (ADME - absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) of substances
  • Chemistry (organic, inorganic, analytical and synthetic chemistry), especially for the chemical identification and specification of chemical substances
  • Exposure assessment and consumption surveys
  • Food technology (manufacturing processes and use of food additives)

*The FAF Panel continues the work in most of the areas previously covered by the former Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Food (ANS). In addition, it has taken over responsibility for the evaluation of flavourings from the former CEF Panel while handing over responsibility for the evaluation of nutrient sources to the NDA Panel.

Working groups

Flavourings - FAF Panel

Food Additives Applications - FAF Panel

Re-evaluation of miscellaneous food additives - FAF Panel

Specifications of Food Additives - FAF Panel

Sweeteners - FAF Panel

WG Follow-up Tox - FAF Panel

WG on the re-evaluation of food additives permitted in foods for infants below 16 weeks of age - FAF Panel

Closed working groups

Allura Red - ANS Panel

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Application 2017-2018 - ANS Panel

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Aspartame - ANS Panel

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Assessment of carcinogenicity of sucralose - ANS Panel

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Botanicals in food

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Chemistry and Specifications - ANS Panel

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ESCO Isoflavones

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Exposure assessment - ANS Panel

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Food additives and nutrient sources 2008-2011 - ANS Panel

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Food additives and nutrient sources 2011-2014 - ANS Panel (Working Group A)

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Food additives and nutrient sources 2011-2014 - ANS Panel (Working Group B)

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Genotox ad hoc - CEF Panel

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Genotoxicity 2017-2018 - CEF Panel

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Guidance on food additives - ANS Panel

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Guidance on Nutrient Sources - ANS Panel

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Isoflavones - ANS Panel

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Phosphates - ANS Panel

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Phosphates - FAF Panel

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Procedures under Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 (Standing WG) - ANS Panel

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Ramazzini Institute study on aspartame in mice and methanol - ANS Panel

Available soon

Re-evaluation of Annatto extracts (E 160b) - FAF Panel

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Re-evaluation of food additives for use in foods for infants below 16 weeks of age - ANS Panel

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Re-evaluation of Food Additives other than Gums & Colours 2017-2018 - ANS Panel

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Re-evaluation of Food Colours 2017-2018 - ANS Panel

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Re-evaluation of Gums and Food Additives from Natural Sources 2017-2018 - ANS Panel

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Re-evaluation of Nitrates - Nitrites 2014-2017 - ANS Panel

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Re-evaluation of other miscellaneous food additives with 2018 deadline (Standing WG) - ANS Panel

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Re-evaluation of Starches, Celluloses and Pectins - ANS Panel

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Sulphur Dioxide-Sulphites (E220-228)

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Titanium dioxide (E171) - FAF Panel

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Toxicology - ANS Panel

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WG 'B' Food additives and nutrient sources 2008-2011 - ANS Panel

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WG on Guidance Update on Flavourings - FAF Panel

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WG on the follow-up of the re-evaluation of sorbic acid and potassium sorbate as food additives - FAF Panel

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WG on the re-evaluation of remaining food additives other than colours and sweeteners - FAF Panel

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