Food improvement agents applications: Tools

Food Enzyme Intake Model

The Food Enzyme Intake Model (FEIM) is a tool for estimating chronic dietary exposure to food enzymes used in food processes. FEIM follows the methodology recommended in the CEF Panel’s Statement on Exposure assessment of food enzymes. It has been developed on the basis of summary statistics of food consumption data collected from Member States (stored in the EFSA Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database). Dietary data from the UK were included in FEIM when the UK was a member of the European Union.

FEIM comprises process-specific calculators, such as FEIM-baking or FEIM-brewing, which allow estimation of dietary exposure to food enzymes used in individual food manufacturing processes. Exposure results are reported at mean and high level for different population groups (e.g. infants, toddlers, adults, etc.) in different countries.

FEIM can be accessed via the EFSA Knowledge Junction. It will be updated annually as further process-specific calculators are generated and adopted by the CEF Panel. Each release uses the most recent consumption data from the Comprehensive Database.

How does it work?

Enter the use level of a food enzyme, e.g. the maximum recommended for a specific food manufacturing process. All values should be entered as mg TOS (Total Organic Solids)/kg of raw materials.

You can find all technical details on FEIM in Annex B of the Statement on Exposure assessment of food enzymes.

Food Additives Intake Model

The Food Additives Intake Model 2.1 (FAIM) is a tool for estimating chronic dietary exposure to food additives. It allows users to estimate the mean and high level exposure to food additives for different population groups in several European countries.

It can be used by applicants, risk assessors and risk managers for estimating exposure to new food additives or to already authorised food additives for which a new use is proposed. Exposure results are provided for different population groups (e.g. infants, toddlers, adults, etc) and for different countries.

FAIM is based on data collected from EU Member States on food consumption (stored in the EFSA Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database).

How does it work?

Enter the occurrence levels for the food additive under evaluation for the relevant food categories.

You can use:

  • “proposed use levels” for new food additives or for a new use of an already authorised food additive;
  • “reported use levels” or analytical results in case of an evaluation of an already authorised food additive.

All values have to be entered as mg/kg of food.

To use the tool, you need to register. Send an email to servicedesk [at] efsa.europa.eu with your name, last name, email address and affiliation.