The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a report of its emerging risk activities in 2023, which identifies several food safety issues on the horizon. EFSA’s emerging risks identification work is conducted by its Emerging Risks Exchange Network (EREN), the Stakeholder Discussion Group on Emerging Risks (StaDG-ER), and other EFSA experts and committees.
Identified emerging risks span chemical and biological hazards, and new processes and technologies, including:
- Z15, an engineered nanomaterial consisting of iron oxide particles coated with folic acid, which is used in wastewater treatment plants in Ireland and the EU and could potentially enter the food chain. More information is required about the lifecycle of Z15, its stability, and its exposure levels.
- Rare earth elements commonly found in electronic devices entering the food chain. Little is understood about the sources, environmental behavior, ecotoxicology, and human toxicology of these elements.
- Alcohol replacement drinks made with food-grade herbs that affect the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system to produce relaxing effects. Information is needed for risk assessment on these kinds of beverages.
- Outbreaks of zoonotic Hendra and Nipah viruses associated with the loss of bat habitats driven by climate change. For example, in a recent Nipah virus outbreak in Bangladesh, 11 people were sickened and eight people died after consuming contaminated raw date palm sap.
- Cattle infected with epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus 8 (EHDV-8) discovered in Italy, Spain, and France. There is a high risk of the disease spreading in the South of Europe and other countries are recommended to implement a monitoring system for the virus.
The report also identified food safety risks that are relevant, but not “emerging,” as they are being addressed by national and European authorities. For example, the risk of Listeria monocytogenes contamination in plant-based alternatives to animal products, the novel inclusion of glucose oxidase immobilized on zinc oxide nanoparticles in bread to enhance quality and shelf life, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination of organic eggs in Denmark, and the presence of cadmium in flaxseed products.
Additionally, EFSA outlined risks for which further information is needed, including, but not limited to, the use of tara flour as an ingredient in food causing gastrointestinal distress and liver harm, the significance of Bacillus cytotoxicus as a foodborne pathogen, the effects of perinatal exposure to foodborne inorganic nanoparticles, the presence of Providencia pathogens in food, salmonellosis caused by raw meat pet foods, bisphenol A (BPA) entering the food chain through micro- and nanoplastics in soil and irrigation water, risks associated with Amanita muscaria consumption, and the allergenicity of edible insect products and other alternative foods and food packaging.
