EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) has today published its final scientific opinion on the implications of animal cloning on food safety, animal health and welfare and the environment. EFSA’s opinion follows a request from the European Commission (EC) to EFSA for advice on this issue in February 2007 and public consultation on a draft opinion earlier this year. Prof. Vittorio Silano, chair of EFSA’s Scientific Committee, indicated that food safety issues did not apear prevalent. “It... ...Read more »
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a survey on Salmonella levels detected in slaughtered pigs across the EU in 2006-07 indicating that Salmonella was found in one in ten pigs for human consumption. Salmonella was estimated on average to be present in 10.3 per cent of pigs slaughtered for human consumption, according to the EU-wide report from an EFSA Task Force. Levels for Salmonella detected in pigs varied from 0% to 29% between Member States. Among all Salmonella detected,... ...Read more »
The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) Contaminants Panel (CONTAM) has assessed the risks and benefits to consumers from nitrates in vegetables and concluded that the beneficial effects of eating vegetables and fruit outweigh potential risk to human health from exposure to nitrate through vegetables. “We assessed both the risk and benefits of exposure to nitrate from vegetables and concluded that the beneficial effects of vegetables prevail,” Josef Schlatter, chair of EFSA’s... ...Read more »
A survey published yesterday by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has ignited concern about the safety of European commercial turkey meat for human consumption. The report, completed by an EFSA Task Force on European farms in 2006-07, found a full range of Salmonella types were estimated to be present in almost one third of turkey flocks reared for human consumption (30.7%) and in 13.6% of turkey flocks kept for breeding purposes. Amongst the full range of Salmonella types, Salmonella Enteritidis... ...Read more »