EFSA backs own performance in food crises
The European Food Safe Authority (EFSA) has declared it has reached a “good maturity in handling urgent requests for scientific advice” after reviewing its performance in 2009 –one of which involved the contamination of food by a packaging ink.
The body said it has also developed procedures in to provide scientific advice and support to risk managers, such as the European Commission, and consumers over “hot topics” before they escalate into a crisis.
The Parma-based agency said it has drawn up a guide outlining its rprocedures in response to urgent requests called the Emergency Manual. It has also undertaken training exercises involving its staff, the Commission and member states to rehearse possible reactions to critical events. These consist of workshops involving case studies, table-top activities and command-post simulation exercises.
Nicotine and 4-methylbenzophenone
EFSA also delivered its self-assessment on the back of its response to two emergency requests in 2009 regarding the presence of packaging ink of 4-methylbenzophenone (4MBP) in breakfast cereals and nicotine in wild mushrooms.
In February 2009, a laboratory in Germany found high levels of 4MBP, with EFSA subsequently receiving an urgent call for advice from Brussels. The body was able to issue a first response on 4MBP within 13 days that short-term consumption of contaminated breakfast cereals should not pose a risk to most people. A working group was also established to analyse the risk if contamination continued in a bid to be prepared for possible future incidents.
For the incident involving nicotine in wild mushrooms, EFSA determined the presence of the chemical did pose a public health risk and tabled a proposal for acceptable values for consumer safety. This led to establishment of a Europe-wide monitoring programme.
In this case, EFSA was given a 10-day deadline but delivered its response in 14 days.
“For both these urgent cases, the Authority was able to quickly provide the requested scientific advice, achieving consistent news coverage of its messages and avoiding the generation of undue public concern,” said EFSA in its report.
The body said it would continue its training programme in order to “maintain its current level of preparedness for responding adequately to food and feed safety issues”.
