Originally published on The Nano Newswire
Recently, the European Food Safety Authority ("EFSA") published a guide for assessing the risks of using engineered nanomaterial in food and feed applications. This guide is the first such guide to give practical guidance for handling the potential risks associated with using nanotechnology in food and feed applications, such as additives, flavorings and pesticides. The guide was prepared pursuant to a request from the European Commission, and includes various toxicity testing approaches for applicants to follow in their applications to the EFSA.
The guide acknowledges the uncertainties in current testing methods and attempts to provide a balance between supporting innovation and ensuring the safety of the food and feed supply. EU government agencies are taking a proactive approach to investigating potential risks in the use of nanotechnology. The FDA, U.S. food-producers, and their insurance companies, should continue to monitor these European developments in nanotechnology use frame-works and the regulation of toxicity testing methodologies for food and feed applications.
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