Five topics were considered to be emerging risks by European experts in 2023 while a wide range of other subjects were considered, according to a recently released report.
The annual report on the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) activities on emerging risks revealed 32 issues were discussed and five were listed as emerging risks.
EFSA networks contributing to emerging risks identification include the Emerging Risks Exchange Network (EREN), the Stakeholder Discussion Group on Emerging Risks, EFSA’s scientific units, the scientific panels, the Scientific Committee, and their working groups.
The first issue covered alcohol replacement drinks made with food-grade herbs containing molecules that work on the GABA system, which produces a state of relaxation. The goal is to license the product as an ingredient that can be used as an alternative to alcohol by beverage companies.
The second emerging topic was the risk of pathogen spillover to humans of the Hendra and Nipah viruses because of the loss of bat habitats because of environmental changes driven by climate change. In a recent Nipah virus outbreak in Bangladesh, eight people died after consuming raw date palm sap, and 11 people aged from 15 days to 50 years old were infected.
Other emerging issues were Z15 nanomaterial used in wastewater treatment plants in Europe, the risk or exposure to rare earth elements, and Epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus.
Topics being monitored
Areas that were not judged to be emerging included the microbiological risk of plant-based alternatives to animal products. Five severe cases of listeriosis were reported to French authorities, four of which were in pregnant women who had premature deliveries. The patients were infected with the same strain of Listeria and reported symptoms between April and December 2022. Before contracting listeriosis, they consumed cheese alternatives with almond and walnut milk and cashew nuts. Experts said this was not an emerging risk and relates to risk management practices which could be mitigated at the company level.
PFAS contamination was found in organic eggs in Denmark in autumn 2022. Levels were significantly higher than in barn and free-range eggs. It was suspected that the high levels were linked to the use of fishmeal as an additional feed for the organic egg-laying hens. Organic farmers have taken measures to stop using fishmeal as feed for organic egg-laying hens. EFSA said the issue was handled by DG Sante with data collection and risk management activities ongoing.
High concentrations of cadmium in some whole and ground flaxseed products have been reported. Cadmium is a naturally occurring heavy metal in soils although concentrations can become elevated through agricultural or industrial activities. The issue was raised in New Zealand because parts of the country have elevated cadmium soil concentrations because of historic phosphate fertilizer use. Linseeds have not been the target of an assessment for cadmium levels. Cadmium is acutely toxic at high levels of intake and can cause chronic toxicity problems in the kidneys and liver. A recommendation was made to monitor the level of cadmium in protein rich seeds and for a risk benefit assessment.
An outbreak traced to tara flour in the United States was mentioned. It is thought that baikiain in tara flour was responsible for 470 illnesses since June 2022. In May 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared that tara flour does not meet the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) standard. EU experts said it was not clear whether it was a one-off contamination or if tara flour itself poses an emerging food safety risk. They advised monitoring the presence of tara flour on the EU market and collection of data.
Following World War II, explosive conventional and chemical ammunition was disposed of in the ocean, which has resulted in the corrosion and breakdown of munition shells. Compounds from a dumpsite in the Baltic Sea are being accumulated by flatfish, which could potentially pose a threat to the health of fish and human food safety. Experts said more information was needed on the concentration of explosives in fish meat. A monitoring program should gather data before deciding if any measures need to be taken.
Other signals raised were the relevance of Bacillus cytotoxicus as a foodborne pathogen, the prevalence of Providencia spp. in food, the risk to human health from raw meat-based diets for pets, alternatives to ethylene oxide treatment of sesame seeds, an increase in consumption of the Amanita muscaria mushroom, and Aichivirus (AiV) as a potential cause of outbreaks.
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