Feedback from a public consultation has helped EFSA to finalise the strategy for its next re-evaluation of the toxicity of bisphenol A (BPA). A “scientific protocol” that transparently details upfront...

The declining trend of salmonellosis cases in the EU has levelled off according to the annual report on zoonotic diseases published today. Cases of Salmonella Enteritidis acquired in the EU have...

Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has refined the template for calculating dermal absorption for in vitro studies for pesticides. The changes took account of feedback from...

EFSA took part in a high-level ministerial conference on Xylella fastidiosa on 1 December 2017. The meeting in Paris was organised jointly by the EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis...

EFSA has published its second EU summary report on the monitoring of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). TSEs are a group of diseases that affect the brain and nervous system of humans...

EFSA’s latest data report summarises the monitoring data from 2015, including compliance rates with EU residue limits, for a range of veterinary medicines, unauthorised substances and contaminants...

More than 250 plant health experts from around the world met in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, this week to share and debate the latest scientific developments on efforts to tackle the spread of Xylella...

EFSA’s updated risk assessments on the potential risks to bees from neonicotinoid pesticides will be finalised in February 2018. The assessments for clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam will be...

Sharing best practices in fighting African swine fever is critical to halt the spread of the disease, say EFSA experts. These include early detection methods and rigorous emergency measures. EFSA...

EFSA’s pesticide experts have developed an approach that could help risk assessors to make better use of epidemiological data in the assessment of active chemical substances used in pesticides. The...

A set of indicators will assist European Union (EU) Member States to assess their progress in reducing the use of antimicrobials and combatting antimicrobial resistance. These indicators have been...

Consumer exposure to furan and methylfurans in food could lead to possible long-term liver damage. The most exposed group of people are infants, mainly through consumption of ready-to-eat jarred or...

Migratory wild birds crossing the north-eastern and eastern border of the European Union is the most likely pathway for avian influenza to enter the territory, says EFSA. Experts assessed the risk of...

The President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, visited the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on 25 September 2017, where he met with EFSA’s Executive Director, Bernhard Url, and...

EFSA has set dietary reference values for riboflavin (vitamin B2) as part of its review of scientific advice on nutrient intakes. Based on new scientific findings, the Panel on Dietetic Products...

Two new guidance documents – on the weight-of-evidence approach and biological relevance assessment – will help to further harmonise methodologies across the areas in which EFSA works. Scientific...

Exposure to pyrrolizidine alkaloids in food, in particular for frequent and high consumers of tea and herbal infusions, is a possible long-term concern for human health due to their potential...

The European Food Safety Authority, the European Medicines Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control are concerned about the impact of use of antibiotics on the increase in...

The European response to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) after the crisis of the 1980s has significantly reduced prevalence of the disease in cattle. However, isolated cases are still being...

EFSA has established a safe intake level for glutamic acid and glutamates used as food additives after re-evaluating their safety. The Authority also concluded that estimated dietary exposure to...

Consumption of raw or undercooked pork meat and liver is the most common cause of hepatitis E infection in the EU, said EFSA. More than 21,000 cases of hepatitis E infections have been reported in...

EFSA launched its OpenFoodTox database of chemical hazards in food and feed. The database is a rich source of toxicological information for risk assessment that can potentially support the reduction...

EFSA has published new guidance on dermal absorption of plant protection products (PPPs). The guidance proposes default values to be used in the absence of experimental data for the risk assessment of...

The European Commission has launched today its new EU action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – a growing threat that is responsible for 25,000 deaths in the EU every year. The action...

Beekeepers, scientists, policy-makers and other relevant parties are to set up a European bee partnership that could transform the way bee health is assessed in the EU. The pledge was the main outcome...

EFSA has published supplementary guidance on allergenicity to further strengthen risk assessment of genetically modified (GM) plants. The document considers new scientific and regulatory developments...

Existing safe levels for nitrites and nitrates intentionally added to meat and other foods are sufficiently protective for consumers, EFSA has concluded after re-evaluating their safety. Consumer...

EFSA’s approach for assessing substances found in food intended for infants below 16 weeks of age will further support EU decision-making on the safety of food for this age group. The guidance will...

EFSA experts have examined issues surrounding the slaughter of pregnant farmed animals in Europe. According to EFSA expert judgement, on average 3% of dairy cows, 1.5 % of beef cattle, 0.5% of pigs, 0...

EFSA’s MUST-B working group has finalised its requirements for the collection of field data needed to support its risk assessment model for bees. The model is currently being developed using published...

EFSA has set dietary reference values for vitamin K as part of its review of scientific advice on nutrient intakes. The Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) decided to maintain...

Follow-on formula with a protein content of at least 1.6 g/100 kcal made from either cow or goat’s milk is safe and suitable for infants living in Europe, EFSA says. Current EU legislation sets the...

New guidance published by EFSA will assist applicants in preparing and presenting dossiers for authorisation of infant and/or follow-on formulae manufactured from protein hydrolysates. It will also...

EFSA scientists have devised a way to more accurately estimate consumer exposure to enzymes used in food production, improving their safety evaluation as required by EU law. Use of the new approach in...

Updated guidance provides applicants with clearer advice on how to submit dossiers on plastic food contact materials before they can be put on the market in the European Union. Previously covered in...

EFSA is to co-host a scientific colloquium on bee health as part of the European Parliament’s Week of Bees and Pollination 2017. Registration is now open for the event, Collecting and sharing data on...

The mass vaccination of cattle implemented in south-eastern Europe successfully contained the outbreaks of lumpy skin disease in the region in 2015-16. This is the main conclusion of an...

Food consumed in the European Union continues to be largely free of pesticide residues or to contain residues that fall within legal limits, new figures show. The latest monitoring report published by...

African swine fever is spreading slowly in the Baltic countries and Poland, according to the latest epidemiological data analysed by these Member States and EFSA. The disease is spreading at about 2...

EFSA will provide scientific advice on the daily intake of added sugar in food by early 2020. The Authority aims to establish a science-based cut-off value for daily exposure to added sugars from all...

A major scientific conference on European research into Xylella fastidiosa is to be held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, from 13-15 November 2017. The conference is being organised jointly by EFSA, the...

It is one of the most debated questions in chemical risk assessment: can exposure to chemicals such as pesticides cause ill health in humans? Scientists currently rely on experimental toxicology...

Mass vaccination programmes lasting at least five years in combination with improved, continuous surveillance systems would be the only effective measures for eradicating bluetongue in Europe, EFSA...

The European outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis appears to have subsided since control measures were implemented at egg farms and distribution points last autumn. The outbreak peaked in the last week...

Do you think enough is being done to control or prevent overuse of antibiotics in farm animals? Do antibiotics kill viruses? These are some of the questions that EFSA asked farmers, veterinarians and...

EFSA is marking Open Data Day 2017 by adding another batch of datasets to its Knowledge Junction open repository. The Authority is publishing its data wherever possible as part of its commitment to...

EFSA has proposed a simplified approach to food safety management in small retail businesses such as grocery shops, butchers, and bakeries. The approach includes guidelines on how to identify the most...

Bacteria found in humans, animals and food continue to show resistance to widely used antimicrobials, says the latest report on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria by the European Food Safety...

EFSA has updated its advice for applicants on how to prepare and present a health claim application. The guidance presents a standardised format for a well-structured application. It also details the...

Dairy calves fed milk from cows treated with antimicrobials have a higher probability of excreting resistant bacteria through their faeces than those who aren’t. This is one of the conclusions of an...

Reducing the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals, replacing them where possible and re-thinking the livestock production system is essential for the future of animal and public health...

OpenFoodTox is the new EFSA database that provides instant access to a wealth of information from over 1,650 EFSA scientific outputs about the toxicity of chemicals found in the food and feed chain...

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is most likely to enter the European Union through the movement of live cervids – such as reindeer and moose – that are transported or roam freely from Norway to Sweden...

Authorities in Germany and Spain have reported six cases of foodborne botulism associated with the consumption of dried salted fish in November-December 2016. EFSA and ECDC worked jointly to assess...

Strict enforcement of high levels of biosecurity measures is the most effective way to prevent the introduction of the highly pathogenic influenza virus A (H5N8) into poultry farms, says EFSA. EFSA...

EFSA and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) have published an outline of the Guidance they are developing on how to identify substances with endocrine disrupting properties in pesticides and...

EFSA has set dietary reference values for thiamin (vitamin B1) as part of its review of scientific advice on nutrient intakes. Thiamin is a water-soluble vitamin which plays an important role in...

European experts have noted an increasing trend of listeriosis since 2008, but they highlight that the number of affected people stabilised from 2014 to 2015. Infections were mostly reported in people...