Technical meeting with stakeholders on applications for food enzymes

Background

Food enzymes can be added to the EC list of authorised food enzymes only after their safety has been assessed by EFSA. The procedures for evaluation and authorisation of food enzymes are laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008.

EFSA’s Food Ingredients and Packaging (FIP) Unit held a technical meeting with stakeholders on food enzyme applications on 19–20 June 2019 in Brussels, Belgium. The meeting provided the setting for an exchange of views on scientific issues related to the preparation and the risk assessment of applications for market authorisation of food enzymes.

Objectives of the meeting

The overall aim of the meeting was to explain the current criteria and to discuss questions on the scientific evaluation of food enzymes, to inform on EFSA’s ongoing process of evaluation of the food enzymes that are currently on the market and to get insight on possible applications that might be submitted in the future.

The topics for discussion included:

• Characterisation of production strains of enzymes obtained by microbial fermentation.
• Characterisation of food enzymes.
• Toxicological assessment of food enzymes.
• Food process categorisation and exposure assessment.
• Current and future and plans for dossier assessment.

Outcome of the meeting

More than 70 participants representing the industry, consultants, national competent authorities, the European Commission, EFSA experts and staff attended the meeting. Participants engaged in interchange of ideas and open discussions that contributed to the mutual understanding of needs and challenges, and to proposals for solutions. The meeting contributed to the EFSA efforts for openness, transparency and increased dialogue with stakeholders, and will pave the way for better quality dossiers and more efficient risk assessments.

Contact

Do not hesitate to contact FIP [at] efsa.europa.eu (FIP[at]efsa[dot]europa[dot]eu) for content related information.