Transcript The strengths and weaknesses of risk assessment in practice

EU Scientific Advisory System
Prof. Albert Flynn
Chairman, EFSA Scientific Panel on Dietetic
Products, Nutrition and Allergies
Chairman, FSAI Scientific Committee
University College, Cork
Ireland
EU Scientific Advice on Food Safety
• Scientific advice is a key component of policy
and regulation for food safety
• EFSA - central role in providing scientific
advice on food safety at EU level
• National authorities - scientific advice on
food safety at national level
EFSA - the transition (2003)
• successful transition from the (old) EC
advisory system to new EFSA structure
– recruitment of high quality staff
– recruitment of high quality experts to Scientific
Committee/Panels
– continuity of risk assessment tasks
EFSA risk assessment structure
• Scientific Committee + 8 Scientific Panels
- 156 experts
• Additional external experts (working groups)
• External agencies
• EFSA scientific/management/administrative
staff
• EFSA Risk Communication function
Scientific Committee
• 14 members :
8 Panel Chairs + 6
• multi-sectoral issues that come within the competence
of more than one Scientific Panel
• issues which do not come within the competence of
any of the Scientific Panels
Examples
— exposure assessment (for food chemicals etc)
— Harmonised evaluation - genotoxic and
carcinogenic substances
— Emerging risks
Panel on food additives, flavourings,
processing aids & materials in contact
with food [AFC]
• safety in the use of food additives, flavourings,
processing aids and materials in contact with food
• safety of other deliberately added substances to food
• safety of processes
Recent opinions
– substances for food contact materials
– Amino acids for dietetic foods
– Calcium sulphate for dietetic foods
Panel on genetically modified
organisms [GMO]
• genetically modified organisms as defined in
Directive 2001/18/EC, such as micro-organisms,
plants and animals relating to
– deliberate release into the environment
– genetically modified food and feed including
their derived products
Recent opinions
– herbicide-tolerant oilseed rape GT73
– herbicide-tolerant genetically modified maize NK603
– Austrian notification of national legislation governing GMOs
– guidance notes on the contained use of GMOs
Panel on dietetic products, nutrition
and allergies [NDA]
• dietetic products, human nutrition and food
allergy, and other associated subjects such as
novel foods
Recent opinions
– Novel foods (plant sterols)
– infant formula (oligosaccharides, goats milk)
– food allergens (allergenic food ingredients)
– Safe upper levels of vitamins & minerals (vanadium)
Ongoing/future tasks
– Trans fatty acids
– Health claims
– Diet and obesity, chronic disease, nutrition policy??
Panel on additives and products or
substances used in animal feed
[FEEDAP]
• biological and chemical products/substances
intended for deliberate addition/use in animal feed
– safety for the animal, the user/worker, the
consumer of products of animal origin, the
environment
– Efficacy
Panel on plant health, plant protection
products and their residues [PPR]
• safety of plant protection products for the
user/worker, the consumer of treated products and
the environment as well as plant health
Panel on animal health & welfare
[AHAW]
• all aspects of animal health and animal welfare,
primarily relating to food producing animals,
including fish
Panel on biological hazards
[BIOHAZ]
• biological hazards relating to food safety
and food-borne disease, including
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food-borne zoonoses
transmissible spongiform encephalopathies
microbiology
food hygiene
associated waste management
Panel on contaminants in the food
chain [CONTAM]
 contaminants in food and feed
 undesirable substances such as natural
toxicants, mycotoxins and residues
 other non authorised substances
EFSA - advancing risk
assessment in the EU
• Systems established to ensure improved
– management/planning of risk assessment
(workplan, timelines)
– transparency
– risk communication
– stakeholder engagement
– interaction of risk assessment/risk management
– interaction with national authorities
Interaction of EFSA with national
authorities
• need for close cooperation between EFSA and
national authorities
• consistency of scientific advice /communication
– avoid conflicting advice
– EFSA legal requirement
• efficient use of resources - avoid replication of
work
• Advisory Forum - key role
Challenges for risk assessment
• increasing requirements for scientific advice
– high quality + timeliness of advice
–
Planning and management of tasks, prioritisation,
negotiation
– increase support for Scientific Committee/Panels
•
Increased EFSA staff
•
Role of external agencies
Conclusions
EFSA
 significant advance in EU scientific advisory system on
food safety
 successful transition from the (old) EC advisory system
to new structure
 systems established to ensure improved risk
assessment/risk communication
 challenges
– responding to increasing requirements for scientific advice
– cooperation between EFSA and national authorities
– meeting high expectations