The report outlines priority research areas that would advance the risk assessment and risk management work of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and support the protection of public health. They are listed under broad topic headings, and they include suggestions for major research projects as well as smaller desk research studies.
A new report prepared by the European Research Executive Agency (REA) and the European Commission‘s DG RTD includes an Analysis of progress made in projects funded under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, including the European University Alliances.
It provides policy feedback and first evidence on the implementation of the ERA Policy Agenda, in particular ERA Actions 4 and 1716 EU projects, showcasing 16 skills-related projects with their goals, methods, and results, and a focus on skills such as Open Science, entrepreneurship, and innovation to foster a flexible research workforce.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has published the “Early warning tools and systems for emerging issues in food safety” report.
The technical report raises awareness of evidence-based innovative digital tools, providing essential background information to support their proactive use in food safety.
Early warning (EW) systems play a crucial role in mitigating food safety risks. Recognizing the importance of timely identification, national and international authorities now prioritize proactive systems.
Modern technologies, fueled by real-time data and advancements in AI and machine learning, offer tested digital tools for effective food safety early warning.
The report presents the main findings of EFSA’s peer review of the risk assessment of glyphosate, carried out by authorities in four Member States (acting jointly as “Rapporteur Member States”), by taking into account
thousands of studies and scientific articles related to human and animal health and the environment, and involving dozens of scientists from EFSA and national authorities across Europe.
Draft documents related to the risk assessment have been made publicly available at different stages of the process, which has spanned over three years, including the public consultation that gathered valuable input.
(Source: EFSA press release).
The ERC – European Research Council Executive Agency, European Commission, has published the report highlighting ERC projects funded under the H2020 Framework Programme for Research (2014–2020) and a selection of FP7 projects (funded between 2007-2013) that provide new knowledge, new perspectives or innovative solutions to the areas identified under the ten pathways in the EU’s Food 2030 research and innovation policy.
The ERC-funded projects are in various ways relevant for these pathways, either through the advancement of our understanding of the underlying causes of the sustainability challenges at hand and/or by proposing concrete solutions for overcoming these.
The report includes also the last frontier bottom-up research relevant to food safety systems.
SAPEA Report released in June 2023 highlights healthy and sustainable food consumption as a key component of the EU’s transition towards a sustainable food system.
The report presents the relevant issues to shape the ongoing transformation: Food system impacts, Food environment and consumer behaviour, Policies and strategies, by going into detail and providing key messages in the following areas:
SAPEA informs the Scientific Opinion of the European Commission Group of Chief Scientific Advisors, being part of the Scientific Advice Mechanism.
The report covers all the information shared in 2022 within iRASFF, between members of the Alert and Cooperation
Network (ACN) that includes the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed network (RASFF), the Administrative Assistance
and Cooperation network (AAC) or the Agri-Food Fraud Network (FFN).
2022 shows an increase in the number of notifications shared in the AAC and FFN in comparison with previous years. This
illustrates the continued commitment of Member States’ competent authorities to detect and report non-compliances, even if
without health risk, or when suspected of fraudulent practice. In 2022, a high number of those notifications related to pesticide
residues.
The European Commission continued to assist Member States, through both expertise and IT support to facilitate the increasing
exchange of information.
Due follow-up was given to suspicious cross-border fraudulent activities, leading to launching of specific actions such as the
coordinated control plans on the illegal trade of pets, and to deter certain fraudulent practices in honey.
Source: Alert and Cooperation Network Report, 2022, IN BRIEF , doi: 10.2875/70506,
Publications Office of the European Union, 2023, © European Union, 2023