QPS qualifications

Description:
Examples of QPS status related qualifications:     • Absence of acquired genes conferring resistance to clinically relevant antimicrobials (generic qualification for all bacterial TUs)     • Absence of antimycotic resistance should (for yeasts to be used as viable organisms in the food or feed chains)      • for production purposes only, which implies the absence of viable cells of the production organism in the final product and can also be applied to food and feed products based on microbial biomass     • Absence of toxigenic potential (for all Bacillus spp. with QPS status)
Context:

QPS qualifications are specific conditions or restrictions linked to the Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) status of a microorganism. QPS is an assessment system that EFSA uses to pre-assess the safety of microorganisms intentionally added to food or feed, such as bacteria, yeasts, or fungi.

EFSA uses QPS qualifications to indicate under what conditions a microorganism can be considered safe. For example, a microorganism may be presumed safe only if it does not produce toxins, does not carry antimicrobial resistance genes, or is used for a specific purpose. If these qualifications are not met, a full safety assessment is required. By applying QPS qualifications, EFSA streamlines risk assessments while ensuring that safety concerns are still carefully controlled, helping regulators authorize safe microorganisms efficiently without lowering consumer protection.

Qualified presumption of safety (QPS)