EFSA Publishes Data Requirements for Assessing Food Additives

The data requirements indicated by the ANS Panel will be considered by the Commission when finalising legislative measures concerning applications submitted for the evaluation and authorisation of food additives.

04 Aug 2009 The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a statement adopted by its ANS Panel on 9 July 2009 specifying the type of data that industry should provide for the safety assessment of food additives.

This follows on from new EU legislation, adopted in December 2008, which sets out a common procedure for the authorisation of additives, flavourings and enzymes based on scientific risk assessments by EFSA.

The data requirements indicated by the ANS Panel will be considered by the Commission when finalising legislative measures concerning applications submitted for the evaluation and authorisation of food additives. The Commission is due to complete these measures by the end of 2010 following a public consultation.

In addition to this statement defining general data requirements, the ANS Panel is also due to review the separate guidance document on specific scientific methods to be used – e.g. the type of tests which should be carried out by applicants to demonstrate safety – when preparing applications for the approval of food additives.

The revision of this guidance, which will take account of advances in risk assessment, will begin this autumn and should be completed by mid-2011. It will also be the subject of a public consultation by EFSA.

EFSA’s CEF Panel[2] is due to publish the details of its data requirements for the safety assessment of flavourings and enzymes in the coming weeks.