EFSA's Activities on Emerging Risks in 2021

EFSA has identified 8 emerging risks in a recent technical report summarizing the agency’s emerging risk identification activities for 2021. EFSA’s emerging risk identification efforts are a collaboration between the Emerging Risks Exchange Network (EREN), the Stakeholder Discussion Group on Emerging Risks, and EFSA’s scientific units, scientific panels, and Scientific Committee and its working groups.

In total, 18 potential emerging issues were discussed in 2021, of which 8 were decided to be emerging risks. The potential issues were also classified according to the hazard or driver identified. In more than half of the issues discussed in 2021, a change in consumer trends was identified as a driver. The emerging issues are:

1. A new ovine pest virus closely related to classical swine fever virus identified in Italy.
2. The risk of overdosing on vitamin D from food supplements.
3. The first detection of West Caucasian Lyssavirus in Italy.
4. The emergence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia albertii (STEA).
5. Consuming coconut oil may pose potential health risks, including significantly higher LDL-cholesterol levels compared to other oils. Additionally, it could potentially induce insulin resistance.
6. Decreased use of pesticides and fertilizers on food crops may result in emerging risks. These risks include diminished food quality and safety due to increased organism presence affecting edible plants.
7. Brevetoxins in French shellfish.
8. Mycoplasma bovis infections in Belgium.

Vitamin D Overdosing

French health authorities are concerned about vitamin D overdosing. They observed severe hypercalcaemia in healthy infants exposed to vitamin D supplements, leading to hospitalization. The technical report notes the presence of food supplements containing different concentrations/dosages of vitamin D on the European market.

Exploring STEA: Prevalence, Detection, and Reservoir

Additionally, with respect to STEA, several studies have examined its environmental prevalence, detection possibilities, genomes, and pathogenicity potential. The pathogen has been isolated from various animals, such as pigs, cats, and birds, but the natural reservoir of E. albertii is still unclear, and discovering this information is essential to determine STEA transmission dynamics and prevent infections. The first description of STEA was in 2003, and companies often misidentify it as E. coli.

Shellfish and Regulation

Brevetoxins in French shellfish were first identified in November 2018, in mussels from a lagoon in Corsica. Brevetoxins are marine biotoxins responsible for neurotoxic shellfish poisoning. The main known producer of BTXs is the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, but other microalgae are also suspected to produce brevetoxin-like compounds. At present, regulatory authorities in France and Europe do not regulate brevetoxins. However, the French Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) has taken steps. ANSES identified two lowest-observed adverse effect levels (LOAELs). They also proposed a guidance level of 180 micrograms of brevetoxin per kilogram of shellfish meat. This recommendation takes into account a protective default portion size of 400 grams of shellfish meat.

Food Safety Concerns Worldwide

Additionally, the technical report also included 35 potential emerging issues (EREN members identified them). EREN comprises representatives from EU Member States, Norway, Switzerland, and organizations such as the WHO, FAO, FSANZ, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The potential issues include topics like the increasing consumption of crocodile meat, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) hotspot contamination of meat, synthetic cannabinoids in food, microgreens, insect meat, food fraud of buffalo milk, and other concerns.

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