How does the EFSA evaluation work?

Since it was launched in May 2003, the European Food Safety Authority has been responsible for providing the European Commission with scientific advice on food safety.

Requests to evaluate food additives are made to the EFSA, usually by the Commission. The EFSA Panel on food additives, flavourings, processing aids and materials in contact with food (the AFC Panel) then sets up a working group to oversee the evaluation. After discussions in the group over the course of a number of meetings, a draft opinion is prepared for the plenary meeting of the AFC Panel.

This plenary meeting does not merely act as a ‘rubber stamp’. Instead, after full discussions that may take several sessions, the draft opinion will either be adopted, rejected, referred or postponed, depending on the quality of the safety data.

After the draft has been adopted by the plenary meeting, it is then published on EFSA’s website, usually within one month of its adoption.

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