Info Session on Applications - Technical meeting on Food Enzymes

• Agenda and presentations

On 27 May 2014, EFSA received representatives from industry, stakeholder organisations and governmental agencies for a technical meeting on food enzyme applications. Discussions centred on the scientific, regulatory and procedural requirements for submitting food enzyme dossiers and built on EFSA’s experience so far in this area.

The event was organised in the framework of the “EFSA Info Sessions on Applications” aimed at increasing regular interaction and exchange of views with the EFSA’s stakeholders.

Forty-two participants working in the field of food enzymes met with EFSA staff, EFSA experts from the Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (CEF) and a representative of the European Commission (EC).

The meeting was a welcome opportunity to discuss and provide feedback on the ongoing evaluation of food enzymes applications submitted to EFSA over the last year and a half. Following the presentations given by EFSA staff, experts from the CEF Panel and the EC representative, participants expressed their views and asked questions concerning procedural and scientific requirements for submitting applications for the safety evaluation of food enzymes.

In particular, the following key topics were considered:

-Overview of the EFSA data requirements for the safety evaluation of food enzyme applications and update of the relevant EFSA guidance documents on this subject;
-Learning experience from the ongoing evaluation of food enzyme applications;
-Explanation of EFSA’s risk assessment methodology for the evaluation of food enzyme applications and presentation of the structure of EFSA’s scientific opinions on food enzymes.

The event was seen as fruitful by the majority of the participants. In general, it was considered an important opportunity to enhance a constructive dialogue and mutual understanding between the Authority and the different actors involved in the evaluation process of food enzyme applications.

The agenda and the presentations of the technical meeting are available below.