The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched a public consultation on its draft scientific opinion determining “the essential composition of infant and infant follow-on formulae.” Drawing on new evidence as well as dietary intake guidelines for infants and young children, the draft opinion addresses requirements for protein, fat, carbohydrates, micronutrients, and other ingredients found in formula. It also notes that nutrients should be added to formula only “in amounts that serve a nutritional or other benefit.” Among other things, the agency concluded that (i) “cow’s milk, goat’s milk and isolated soy protein are safe and suitable sources of protein for use in infant and infant follow-on formula based on intact protein”; (ii) “formulae containing protein hydrolysates are insufficiently characterized by the declared protein content even if they fulfill regulatory criteria concerning amino acid patterns and contents”; (iii) “infant and follow-on formula should provide indispensable and conditionally indispensable amino acids…
Category Archives European Food Safety Authority
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has extended “the timeline to complete its full risk assessment of bisphenol A (BPA) to the end of 2014.” After receiving nearly 250 comments in response to the second part of its draft risk assessment, EFSA has emphasized the need for “a full understanding of these comments before finalizing its risk assessment of BPA.” Additional details about the draft risk assessment and an April 23, 2014, stakeholder meeting appear in Issues 511 and 515 of this Update. Issue 520
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will host a workshop on April 28, 2014, in Brussels, to discuss the agency’s work related to the re-evaluation of food additives, as required by Commission Regulation No. 257/2010 of the European Parliament and the Council on Food Additives. With an aim to “engage with interested business operators, scientific experts, the European Commission representatives, EFSA scientific staff and other interested parties,” the workshop will include sessions that address (i) “why, how and when scientific uses, use level data and other information should be made available to EFSA”; and (ii) “the extent to which the engagement of stakeholders during the re evaluation process would be of mutual benefit for EFSA and stakeholders themselves.” Participants may register until April 10, 2014. Issue 519
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued a call for data from member states and other stakeholders on a third batch of food additives, including tertiary-butyl hydroquinone, agar, carrageenan, and xanthan gum, used in food and beverages. The action follows Commission Regulation No. 257/2010 of the European Parliament and the Council on Food Additives, requiring re-evaluation of substances permitted in the EU before January 2009. Specifically, the agency seeks (i) “figures from industry on the amounts of these additives they report using in their products”; and (ii) “data derived from analyses indicating actual levels of these additives found in foods and drinks from national food authorities, research institutions, academia, food industry and other stakeholders.” EFSA will accept data submissions until July 31, 2014, and will reportedly publish further calls for similar data later this year. Issue 517
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has asked member states “to monitor the presence of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in food over the next two years.” In light of six scientific opinions published by the Scientific Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain between September 2010 and September 2012, EFSA has requested additional information on the following BFR classes and their presence in human food: (i) polybrominated diphenyl ethers; (ii) hexabromocyclododecanes; (iii) tetrabromobisphenol A and its derivatives; (iv) brominated phenols and their derivatives; and (v) emerging and novel brominated flame retardants. In addition, the agency noted that “levels of [BFRs] in food of animal origin could be related to the presence of these substances in animal feed, therefore, based on the first results of the monitoring of food in 2014, a recommendation as regards the monitoring of animal feed could follow in 2015.” Issue 517
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has updated its analysis of the occurrence of arsenic in food in Europe, setting lower estimates of dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic than the agency reported in 2009. The analysis includes nearly 3,000 data samples of inorganic arsenic, evidently more toxic than organic compounds, and EFSA reports that the estimates’ accuracy has improved due to new consumption and occurrence data and a more detailed classification of foods. Arsenic, which has been linked to health problems such as skin lesions, cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer, is a widely found contaminant that occurs both naturally and as a result of human activity. It appears in various forms, which can be either organic—containing carbon—or inorganic. Food, particularly grain-based processed products, such as wheat bread, rice, milk, dairy products, and drinking water are the main sources of exposure for the general European population. Although the European…
Following an application to claim that vitamin D is important to normal bone and teeth development in infants and children, the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies has issued an opinion affirming that vitamin D contributes to normal development of bones and teeth. The panel noted previous favorable assessments of vitamin D and the maintenance of normal bones and teeth in the general population, concluding that “the role of vitamin D in bone and tooth mineralisation and homeostasis applies to all ages, including infants and young children (from birth to three years).” Issue 515
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has announced an April 23, 2014, scientific meeting to discuss its draft opinion on the human health risks of bisphenol A (BPA) for consumers. Developed by the EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF), the draft opinion also includes a re-evaluation of the tolerable daily intake for BPA, which the agency temporarily recommended lowering from 50 μg/kg bw/day to 5 μg/kg bw/day over concerns that exposure to the substance is likely to pose health risks. Additional details about EFSA’s draft assessment of consumer exposure to BPA appear in Issue 511 of this Update. The meeting seeks to discuss comments received during the draft opinion’s consultation period, which ends March 13. Before adopting its final opinion the CEF Panel will take into account these comments and meeting discussions, as well as issue a separate report that outlines these proceedings. EFSA…
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) has issued an opinion reiterating a previous conclusion that products with less than 75 mg of caffeine may not bear an increased alertness claim, because most studies found “no effect of caffeine doses of less than 75 mg on various cognitive tasks (simple reaction time, choice reaction time and reaction time on other vigilance tasks).” EFSA has also issued an opinion regarding a request to broaden the approved cholesterol-lowering claim for plant sterol esters. In response to a request to extend conditions of plant sterol esters to an additional food matrix (powder supplements to be diluted in water), the panel reiterated its previous conclusion that, “while plant sterols added to foods such as margarine-type spreads, mayonnaise, salad dressings, and dairy products such as milk, yoghurts, including low-fat yoghurts, and cheese have been shown consistently to lower blood LDL-c…
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) has issued an opinion on formaldehyde, currently used as a feed additive and a preservative for skimmed milk intended for pigs. Concluding that “although there is no health risk for consumers exposed to the substance through the food chain,” FEEDAP cautions that inhalation of formaldehyde may cause cancer and appropriate measures should be taken to “ensure that the respiratory tract, skin and eyes of any person handling the product are not exposed to any dust, mist or vapour generated by the use of formaldehyde.” The panel also notes that formaldehyde will not accumulate in the environment and its use in animal nutrition is not expected to pose a risk for the environment. Issue 514
