EU Food Safety Policy

Science & EU Food Safety

Science underpins the EU food safety policy. EU food safety policy ensures safe & nutritious food, high standards of animal health and welfare and plant protection as well as clear labelling on food packages so that consumers can make informed choices. Since the inception of EFSA, Risk Analysis comprising of risk assessment (scientific evidence & research), risk management (policy development) and risk communication (interactive exchange of evidence & views) is the basic framework for a Europe’s modern food safety system. This science-based approach essentially channels the guidelines & regulations and encourages continuous improvements in food safety. This approach enables a direct link between the information on hazards

In a recent EFSA Webinar on Scientific Aspects of a Health Claim Application9, it was explicitly elucidated by the learned speakers that in the event of substantiating any claim, extrapolation of results is not acceptable. For instance, if pilot studies have been conducted for a heath promoting food/ingredient in infants, the same results cannot be useful if the target population is adults. This makes sense because the immune responses & the metabolic rates for an infant would in essence be different from adults. Hence, evidence for a biologically plausible mechanism is crucial. In fact, all the adult group cannot be considered as one because a young adult would be different physiologically from a middle aged & definitely an old person. Similarly, positive effect of glucosamine on improved joint functions cannot be correlated with studies performed on osteoarthritis patients only, conversely, considering studies in healthy individuals recommended.9 An effective dossier for health claim application seeking EFSA approval would require convincing studies on efficacy, Generally accepted scientific evidence, specification of the physiological effect to be considered as beneficial and a claim expressed accurately & reflecting the science as well as in compliance with regulations. As an unprejudiced evaluation of a product,

It is for this reason, risk analysis is the chosen approach to establish food safety control measures. Risk managers are responsible for verifying that the risk mitigation measures are achieved & no unintended consequences are associated, and that risk management goals can be sustained in the longer term. This phase of risk management includes gathering and analysing data on human health, food-borne hazards, potential & emerging health risks that pose threat to food safety and consumer