Ad-hoc meeting with industry representatives on smoke flavourings and flavouring mixtures

EFSA met with representatives from industry in the context of an ad-hoc meeting on smoke flavourings and flavourings other than substances for use in food and feed. The meeting provided an opportunity for an open discussion about the new requirements for chemical mixtures assessment, focusing on the evaluation of genotoxicity, as described in guidance documents from EFSA’s Scientific Committee. The following topics were discussed:

• Need for a better characterisation of chemical mixtures, especially those containing a substantial fraction of unidentified components;
• Genotoxicity assessment of chemical mixtures: component-based approach versus whole mixture approach;
• In vivo unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) assay no longer recommended as follow-up of positive results observed in in vitro gene mutation tests;
• Adequacy of demonstrating target tissue exposure in in vivo genotoxicity studies, particularly in the mammalian erythrocyte micronucleus test;
• Need for a more realistic dietary exposure assessment based on actual use levels for all flavouring substances and on detailed food consumption data across different population groups.

The meeting took place in a constructive atmosphere and marks an important step forward in enhancing dialogue among all parties.

During the meeting, it was announced that the EFSA guidance documents on smoke flavourings for use in food are to be revised following the reception of a mandate from the European Commission. The revision will elaborate on the items discussed at the meeting, taking into account feedback received from the industry representatives.

Additional comments and questions can be sent to: FIP [at] efsa.europa.eu (FIP[at]efsa[dot]europa[dot]eu).