DAFM's 2023 Thematic Research Call is now open, with a deadline for submissions of 21 April 2023 (12:00 hrs). In particular Theme V: Safe, Nutritious and Sustainable, Food Processing and Consumption may be of interest to some of you.

This Theme covers:
• Food for Health & Nutrition
• Alternative or Blended Protein Sources
• Nutrition Databases
• Vulnerability Assessment
• Talent Shortages in the Agri-Food, Forest & Bioeconomy Sector
• Reformulation
• Process Innovations
• Food Safety
• Food Loss/Food Waste

And 3 specified topics
• Listeria monocytogenes in food production environment
• Food Safety Culture
• Food Safety in fresh fruit and vegetables

Details of this Call can be found here

Are you preparing your application for membership of EFSA's Scientific Panels or the Scientific Committee?
Do you have any questions regarding the selection procedure, application form or more in general the work of EFSA?
Read the most Frequently Asked Questions and see our Webinar for more information on these topics.

The deadline for sending applications has been extended until 17 April 2023 at 23:59 (local time).

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The Food Standards Agency is seeking views on new advice for how and when to apply precautionary allergen labelling (PAL), commonly seen as “may contain” warnings on food packaging. 

Under the new advice, and to ensure compliance with food law, food businesses should specify which of the 14 major allergens their PAL refers to – for example, using “may contain peanuts” or “may contain tree nuts” rather than the generic “may contain nuts”. 

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The European Commission published a report which is the result of a project to collect information on potential fraud risks identified by Member State authorities and control methods to detect fraudulent and deceptive practices in the agri-food chain. This report is expected to be used by Member States’ authorities in charge of official controls since it compiles good practice examples and challenges they face with the implementation of fraud related controls. The document was put together through a series of pilot and fact-finding studies of eight Member States between 2020 and 2022. The document presents challenges, opportunities and good practice examples in relation to the implementation of Article 9(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625. Member States’ competent authorities are required to not only detect violations of the rules governing the agri-food chain but also to identify possible intentional violations of those rules, perpetrated through fraudulent or deceptive practices by operators for the purpose of gaining an undue advantage. In 2019, it was estimated that, at global level, food fraud could have an impact of 30 billion€ per year.

Find the report here

There is a health risk from a group of compounds that can form in food during processing, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

EFSA assessed the public health risk related to nitrosamines. Ten nitrosamines in food are carcinogenic, meaning they can cause cancer, and genotoxic, which means they may damage DNA.

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The number of patients in a Salmonella outbreak in the United Kingdom has increased to more than 130.

It was previously reported that 81 people were sick in the UK as part of a multi-country Salmonella Mbandaka outbreak. As of early March, there are 132 UK cases, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

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The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has revealed how it will try to help improve food safety over the next few years.

The FAO Strategic Priorities for Food Safety 2022 to 2031 were developed at the request of the FAO Committee on Agriculture (COAG) and endorsed by the FAO Council in December 2022.

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Health officials in the United Kingdom are investigating a potential outbreak of Listeria that has killed one person.

Whole genome sequencing of listeriosis samples by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified three cases with one death, possibly as part of an outbreak.

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Marine biotoxins are chemical contaminants naturally produced by certain types of algae and other microorganisms, e.g. bacteria. They can enter the food chain mainly through the consumption of fish and other seafood such as molluscs and crustaceans. Climate and temperature strongly influence their presence in marine and freshwater environments.

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Residues of veterinary drugs and other substances found in animals and animal-derived food continue to decline in the European Union and compliance levels are on the rise, the latest data reveals.

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The European Commission has published the results of the EU-wide coordinated action “From the Hives” on honey contaminated with sugars.

To kick-off the exercise, 16 Member States (along with Norway and Switzerland) participated in an initial phase, during which honey samples were collected at borders, between November 2021 and February 2022.

As a second step, the participating countries and the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety collected traceability elements and information on suspected operators.

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INTERESTED PARTIES ARE INVITED TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE: The European Commission requested EFSA to produce an opinion in accordance with Article 29 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, on new developments in biotechnology applied to microorganisms. This work is related to i) microorganisms and products of category 4 (see below) to be released into the environment or placed on the market as or in food and feed; ii) products of category 3 (see below) to be placed on the market as or in food and feed. 

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Contaminated shellfish are continuing to cause illnesses in several European countries and Hong Kong.

At least 170 people have fallen ill in Helsinki, Finland, after eating oysters in various restaurants in February and March. Cases have also been reported in other Finnish cities.

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A short video covering the main highlights of the event and a scientific article describing the outcomes of the conference and the key role the RARA network plays in shaping the future of research and policy agendas have been released.

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A total of 7,363 queries and complaints were handled by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) Advice Line in 2022. Announcing details today of the complaints and queries last year, the FSAI stated that there were 4,058 complaints from consumers, with 31% of complaints relating to unfit food and 28% to poor hygiene standards. Overall, the 2022 complaints saw a 18.9% increase compared with 2021 figures, continuing an overall upwards trend over the past decade.

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EFSA experts provisionally concluded that mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) do not pose a health concern. They also confirmed that some substances in the group known as mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) are a possible health concern.

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Are you a motivated scientist seeking to make a difference and contribute to protecting public health in Europe? Would you like to harness your passion for science by working for the cornerstone of food safety risk assessment in Europe?

EFSA is still looking for experts in the areas of: pharmacology, ecology, genetics, bioinformatics, human medicine, epidemiology, and social science. The application will close on 3 April 2023.

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The PATH-SAFE programme, led by the FSA (Food Standards Agency), connects over 40 partners who collaborate regularly to knowledge-share, deliver and advise on how we can best monitor and combat foodborne diseases.

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Scientists have looked at a range of interventions related to Campylobacter in poultry meat.

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Microbial Risk Assessment (JEMRA) reviewed recent data and evidence and provided scientific advice on control measures for Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in the broiler production chain.

Campylobacter was behind more than 95 million illnesses and 21,374 deaths in 2010 according to WHO estimates.

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Moldova has been given permission to export processed poultry meat and table eggs to European countries.

The decision follows a February meeting of the Controls and Import Conditions section of the Plants, Animals, Food, and Feed (PAFF) Committee, during which member states voiced their support for the EU Commission’s draft legislation to list Moldova for these animal products.

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