Risk Assessment of Chemicals in Food Task Force

Objectives

Risk assessments are conducted to ensure that chemicals present in food do not compromise food safety. The safety assessment processes used to protect consumers should be robust and transparent, and based on the best available science. There is general agreement on the major steps involved in the risk assessment of chemicals in food.

This task force critically reviews the risk assessment process in order to ensure the safety of chemicals in food, and examines the science base for new qualitative and quantitative methods to assess risks from components in the food chain (e.g. low molecular weight chemicals, micronutrients, macronutrients, whole foods). The aim is to improve approaches and tools to assess the risk of food chemicals. This includes development of approaches that take into account variability and uncertainty, and integrate human data, animal in vivo data, and in vitro data. These tools can help to advance and refine the risk assessment process, and thus contribute to ensuring the safety of foods.

As a natural extension of the risk assessment process the task force also aims to develop a structured approach to weigh possible health risks of chemicals in foods against health benefits resulting from the same or different substances found in a particular food item.

BRAFO was submitted as a Specific Support Action (SSA) under the EC’s Sixth Framework Programme, Priority 5, Food Quality and Safety and was approved by the EC. It is co-ordinated by the Risk Assessment of Chemicals in Food Task Force.

The aim of the project is to develop a framework that allows a quantitative comparison of human health risks and benefits of foods and food compounds, using a common scale of measurement. It will be based on the evaluation of changes in the quality and/or duration of life, and will allow weighing for data quality and severity of effect. For quantification purposes a QALY or DALY-like methodology will be used. The framework will take into account how risks and benefits relate to each other, and will consider how these relate to the same and different sub-populations. This includes those defined by genetic polymorphisms. The methodology to be developed shall be sufficiently transparent to serve as a reference for the harmonisation of the evaluation methods used within the European Union and beyond.
The project is a logical follow-up to the EC FUFOSE, PASSCLAIM and FOSIE projects. The outcome of the FOSIE project was a risk assessment framework for chemicals in food; FUFOSE and PASSCLAIM addressed benefit assessment. A European network will be set up involving expertise in risk assessment, nutrition and risk/benefit analysis, with representatives from academia, regulatory agencies and the food industry.

During the first year of the project (2007/2008) the methodology group will review the existing methodologies available for risk-benefit analysis. Based on the existing models a new draft model will be developed. The application of the draft methodology will take place during the second year of the project (2008/2009) through three different case study groups that address natural foods, macronutrient replacers, and the impact of heat processing on foods. In the final year of the project (2009/2010), the methodological findings of the different case studies will be integrated in the final model, which then is intended to be applicable for a wide range of foods.

Results will be shared and compared in workshops at the end of each year followed by a scientific publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

The risk benefit analysis framework is intended to be applicable to a wide range of foods and food components. It will facilitate decision-making in public health nutrition.

A poster describing the project can be downloaded here.

Task Force Collaborators

The scientists below participate in the task force:

Experts from supporting member companies

Dr. Thomas Gude, Swiss Quality Testing Services (CH)
Dr. Michael Knowles, Coca-Cola European Union Group (BE) 
Dr. Hervé Nordmann, Ajinomoto Europe (CH)
Dr. Benoît Schilter, Nestlé (CH)
Dr. Katrin Schütte, Procter & Gamble (BE)
Dr. Paul Tenning, Danisco (DK)
Dr. Anette Thiel, DSM (CH)
Dr. Geoff Thompson, Groupe Danone (FR)

Expert from public institute

Dr. Ib Knudsen, Institute for Food and Veterinary Research (retired) (DK)

BRAFO Steering Committee

Prof. Alan Boobis, Imperial College (UK)
Mr. Bernard Bottex, European Food Safety Authority (IT) - Observer
Mr. Kees de Winter, BEUC (BE)
Dr. Ludger Fischer, European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprised - UEAPME (BE)
Prof. Gerhard Rechkemmer, Max Rubner Institute (DE)
Dr. Jørgen Schlundt, World Health Organization - WHO (CH) - Observer
Dr. Maria Spulber, European Commission – DG Research (BE) - Observer
Dr. Hans Verhagen, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment - RIVM (NL)

Publications:

J.F. Borzelleca and H. Verhagen, Editors. Risk Characterisation of Chemicals in Food and Diet – Final part of Food Safety in Europe (FOSIE): Risk Assessment of Chemicals in Food and Diet.  Food and Chemical Toxicology 2003;41(9):1205-1271.

S. Barlow et al., Guest Editors. Food Safety in Europe (FOSIE): Risk Assessment of Chemicals in Food and Diet.  Food and Chemical Toxicology 2002;40(2/3):139-427.

To download the BRAFO poster, click here.

For more information about the task force, contact info@ilsieurope.be.