Food enzyme exposure tool: call for expression of interest

For the safety assessment of food enzyme applications seeking authorisation in the EU, EFSA has been developing a tool to estimate the exposure to food enzymes when applied in one or more food manufacturing processes.

Food enzyme applicants will be the main users of the tool, which will enable them to calculate the dietary exposure to food enzymes autonomously, but it can also be used by other food business operators as well as risk managers and risk assessors.

The beta version of the calculator is now ready for testing, and EFSA is willing to engage with its stakeholders throughout the further development and finetuning of the tool.

Background

Food enzymes are used for technical purposes in the production of foods. Dietary exposure is an integral part of the risk assessment of food enzymes, and it cannot be estimated by multiplying the enzyme use level directly with food consumption data. Therefore, tracing food enzymes through the food chain has been a major challenge.

To overcome this obstacle, in 2023, EFSA compiled a catalogue of food groups and technical factors that are specific to 40 food manufacturing processes in which food enzymes are used. This catalogue enables the estimation of food enzyme intake by gathering data from the European Food Consumption Database . Following the release of FEIM calculators for each food manufacturing process, EFSA has now developed an integrated Food Enzyme Intake Model (FEIM) web tool.

The testing phase includes two engagement windows with interested stakeholders:

• One remote testing phase, which will run from 26 February 2024 to 18 March 2024, where users will be able to independently test the FEIM web tool at their own pace and provide feedback to EFSA on their user experience. EFSA will select stakeholders based on their expertise, affiliation, and area of competence. Once selected, EFSA will provide users with a tutorial video to explain how to input data and navigate the tool.
• One in-person focus group session with beta testers on 14 May 2024 in Brussels, where EFSA will present the improvements made to the calculator based on feedback received. A hands-on training slot will also be organised on this occasion to advance the presentation of the calculator and collect further input for last tweaks to the tool. The venue and final time will be shared with selected registrants via email in due time.

Call for expression of interest

EFSA invites all interested parties to express their interest in taking part as beta users in the testing phase, as well as in the in-person focus group, by filling in the form below. The deadline to express interest in participation during the two engagement windows is 23 February 2024 (extended deadline).