weight of evidence
Description:
A process in which all of the evidence relating to a decision is evaluated based on its strength and quality
Context:
In food safety, weight of evidence means looking at all available scientific information together to decide how likely it is that a food, ingredient, or chemical is safe or harmful. It considers studies from different sources, types of experiments, and their quality, rather than relying on a single study.
EFSA uses the weight of evidence approach to make robust scientific assessments, for example when evaluating the safety of new foods, additives, pesticides, or contaminants. By combining multiple lines of evidence, EFSA can give more reliable advice to support EU food safety decisions and protect public health.