EFSA has published the results of its two pilot assessments on the risks posed to humans by residues of multiple pesticides in food. The assessments – one considering chronic effects on the thyroid system and the other acute effects on the nervous system – are the culmination of a multi-year collaboration between EFSA and the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the...

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EFSA has published a scientific opinion on public health risks related to the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in food – a mycotoxin naturally produced by moulds that can be found in a variety of foodstuffs including cereals, preserved meats, fresh and dried fruit, and cheese. New data that have become available since the last assessment in 2006 suggest that OTA can be...

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The globalisation of trade combined with the boom in travel and movement of people mean that plant pests can travel from one side of the globe to the other in a matter of days. So how do risk assessors and plant health officers keep track of the pests of tomorrow? The answer is horizon scanning. In collaboration with the European Commission's Joint Research...

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EFSA has assessed the risks to public health from Listeria contamination of vegetables that are blanched – scalded in hot water or steam for a short time – before they are frozen. They conclude that the risks associated with the consumption of these products is lower than for ready-to-eat foods such as smoked fish, cooked meat, sausages, pâté, soft cheese – which are usually associated with listeria...

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EFSA has published its annual report on pesticide residues found in food in the European Union. The report is based on data from the official national control activities carried out by EU Member States, Iceland and Norway and includes both targeted and random sampling. A total of 91,015 samples were analysed in 2018, 95.5% of which fell within legally permitted levels. For the subset...

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What are priority pests? The 20 pests on the list published by the European Commission in October 2019 are quarantine pests that have been identified as top priorities for EU Member States based on the severity of the economic, social and environmental problems they can cause. They include Xylella fastidiosa, the Japanese beetle, the Asian long-horned beetle, citrus greening and citrus black spot. Why did the European Commission draw up this list?...

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“The whole EU territory is at risk from Xylella fastidiosa, and the more the scientific community works together on this issue, the quicker we’ll be to find solutions to tackle this pest.” That was how Claude Bragard, chair of EFSA’s Panel on Plant Health, summed up the importance of the conference on X. fastidiosa held in Corsica this week. Around 350 plant health specialists from around...

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