European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) – Committed since 2002 to ensuring that Europe's food is safe



EFSA has started work on a new risk assessment of bisphenol A, a chemical that is used in food contact materials, focusing on the exposure of vulnerable groups. Scheduled for completion in May 2013, the scientific opinion will evaluate dietary and non-dietary exposure to BPA. In support of its new risk assessment, EFSA invites Member States, research institutions, academics, food business operators, packaging business operators and other stakeholders to submit data on BPA, in particular concerning its: occurrence in food and beverages, migration from food contact materials, and occurrence in food contact materials. Deadline: 31 July 2012 Call for Bisphenol A occurrence data	Experts will have the opportunity to discuss the possible low-dose effects of BPA at EFSA’s international scientific colloquium on low-dose effects in toxicology and risk assessment. The colloquium takes place on 14-15 June 2012. Scientific colloquium EFSA's work in context Topic: Bisphenol A FAQ: Chemicals in Food Scientific report: Scientific report of EFSA’s Endocrine Active Substances Task Force

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Pesticides and bee health: EFSA reviews the science EFSA has published a state-of-the-art scientific review of the risks posed by pesticides to honey bees, bumble bees and solitary bees. This major piece of work will support the development of guidance that will provide up-to-date advice to those involved in the evaluation of plant protection products and their active substances, including industry and public authorities.
*Assessing safety of E.faecium* in animal feed** EFSA has developed pioneering guidance for the safety assessment of Enterococcus faecium, a common probiotic used in animal feed. EFSA’s experts have taken advantage of recent advances in science to produce a methodology for distinguishing between safe and potentially harmful strains of E.faecium in animal nutrition.	Health claims: guidance on bone, joints and oral health EFSA’s Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies has published guidance on the scientific requirements for health claims related to bone, joints and oral health. The guidance, which is based on the Panel’s experience of evaluating claims in these areas, focuses on two key issues: the assessment of claimed beneficial effects; and studies/outcome measures which are considered appropriate for the substantiation of claims.