Etikett: efsa
Dietary tool from EFSA
EFSA has launched an interactive tool that allows nutritionists and other health professionals to make quick and easy calculations using EFSA's dietary reference values.
The DRV Finder searches by population group or nutrient, allowing users to extract and combine the precise information they need from the 32 opinions on DRVs that EFSA has published in recent years.
The opinions contain DRVs for water, fats, carbohydrates and dietary fibre, protein, energy, as well as 14 vitamins and 13 minerals.
Corporate Europe Observatory Criticises EFSA
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will probably fail, again, to become independent from the food industry. Its motto is "trusted science for safe food", CEO says.
But year after year the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has been hit by conflicts of interest scandals. Conflict of interests still abound in EFSA's panels, with nearly half (46%) of current experts on EFSA panels in a financial conflict of interests, according to our assessment.
For four years in a row, the European Parliament has demanded that EFSA becomes independent from the food industry. On 21 June 2017, the agency's Management Board will vote new independence rules for the agency's experts. Given the agency's reluctance to change, we fear that the situation will not really improve, CEO continues.
EFSA updates health claim application's guidance
EFSA has updated its advice for applicants on how to prepare and present a health claim application. The guidance presents a standardised format for a well-structured application. It also details the kind of information and data applicants need to submit in support of their claim.
The guidance applies to health claims related to a type of food, a food category or food constituents.
The update is aligned with EFSA's 2016 general scientific guidance on health claim applications, which outlines the evaluation process and gives applicants a better understanding of the assessment criteria.
EFSA's Knowledge Junction – open access to scientific models and tools
Scientific models used by EFSA over the last 15 years have been brought together in a new EFSA community: the Knowledge Junction. The models can be shared and cited and you can submit your own. A selection of these tools are also available as web applications on the new EFSA Statistical Models Platform; just select a model, upload your data, run the analysis and view the results.
Prof Hans Verhagen, head of risk assessment and scientific support at EFSA, said: "We have set up this new community platform to make all the models we have used available to people interested in food and feed risk assessment. Our aim is to improve transparency, reproducibility and evidence reuse. Anybody is free to use these tools – for example, together with information from EFSA's Scientific Data Warehouse.
Nordiskt samarbete för maxgräns för socker
Efsa, den europeiska livsmedelssäkerhetsmyndigheten, bör göra en ny vetenskaplig granskning av hur socker påverkar hälsan. Det anser myndighetscheferna på livsmedelsverken i Sverige, Finland, Danmark, Island och Norge. Orsaken är att det finns ny forskning om sambanden mellan sockerkonsumtion och övervikt och typ-2-diabetes.
Sedan Efsas senaste granskning 2010 har det kommit mycket ny forskning om sambanden mellan sockerkonsumtion och övervikt och typ-2-diabetes. Efsas bedömning vid den tidpunkten var att det inte fanns tillräckligt med underlag för att sätta ett referensvärde – maxvärde – för tillsatt socker.
No safety problems with UV-treated milk
Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to deliver an opinion on UV-treated milk, taking into account the comments and objections of a scientific nature raised by Member States. The novel food is cow's milk to which a treatment with ultraviolet (UV) radiation is applied after pasteurisation in order to extend the shelf life of the milk.
The Panel considers that the provided compositional data, the specifications and the data do not give rise to safety concerns. The data provided on the production process are sufficient and do not give rise to safety concerns.
New experts join EFSA's Scientific Committee and Panels
EFSA has renewed the memberships of eight of its scientific Panels and its Scientific Committee, boosting its scientific excellence with a new intake of experts. The 167 scientists – about half of whom are joining EFSA for the first time – will start their three-year term on 1 July 2015. Their CVs and declarations of interest are published.
"We have attracted very highly qualified scientists from across Europe that will make a difference to Europe's food safety system," said Dr Tobin Robinson, Head of EFSA's Science Strategy and Coordination Department. "Many of the new members come from universities and research institutes, meaning that there is a growing awareness of EFSA's work in academic circles".
The Authority's Scientific Committee and Panels are renewed every three years, with current members either replaced or re-appointed. Experts are selected through a rigorous procedure, based on proven scientific excellence and independence.
The inaugural meetings of the experts' three-year mandate will take place at the beginning of July at EFSA's premises in Parma. During these meetings, experts are informed about EFSA strategy, risk assessment, the Authority's policy on independence and implementing rules. Each Panel will also meet separately to discuss its future work programmes and elect its Chair and vice-Chairs.
EFSA proposes dietary reference values for calcium
EFSA has proposed dietary reference values (DRVs) for calcium, as part of its continuing work on DRVs for European citizens. The Scientific Opinion was finalised following a six-week public consultation.
Calcium is an integral component of the skeleton; approximately 99 % of total body calcium is found in bones and teeth, where it has a structural role. The remaining 1% performs vascular, neuromuscular and endocrine functions in cells and tissues.
The main dietary sources of calcium in European countries differ, although dairy products are generally the most important food group. Other rich food sources include dark green vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish with soft bones and calcium-fortified foods. Hard water also makes a significant contribution to calcium intake.
EFSA has also launched a public consultation on its draft Scientific Opinion on DRVs for iron. The deadline for comments is 19 July 2015.