What Is EFSA and Why Is it Important?

Abstract

The main objective of food safety is to protect consumers of food products from food-related illnesses. Within countries, ensuring the safety of the food supply comes under the auspices of national food safety agencies. In the European Union, the agency charged with the safety evaluation of food products is the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Its equivalent in the United States is the Food and Drug Administration. What EFSA is and its role in risk analysis of food chemicals is the subject of this article. It also looks how EFSA as a scientific organization operates and comes to an opinion on the safety of a food chemical. This article also examines the interaction of EFSA with the Food and Drug Administration in the United States. In addition, some examples of where these institutions differ in how they evaluate and regulate food products are highlighted, emphasizing the importance of cooperation and the sharing of expertise between EFSA and the Food and Drug Administration to ensure consumer trust in the foods they consume.