On January 24, 2017 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published an updated version of its Scientific Committee guidance on the use of the benchmark dose (BMD) approach in risk assessment. The update considers EFSA’s experience from applying the BMD approach in its scientific assessments since 2009 as well as recent methodological developments. Highlights of the update include: 1) A revised section on the BMD approach in practice, covering model averaging as the preferred method for BMD calculations, 2) reviewed default models for BMD analysis, introducing a new criterion, and 3) a flow chart and template with step-by-step guidance for performing and reporting a BMD analysis.

EFSA also published a report on the public consultation on the draft of the updated guidance that was open from July 14 to September 20, 2016. Further, EFSA will hold a workshop on this guidance on March 1-2, 2017 in Brussels, Belgium. The workshop is intended for EFSA staff and experts from its Scientific Panels. EFSA also invites representatives of the European Medicines Agency, European Chemicals Agency, European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) and its Scientific Committees, Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives, non-EU risk assessment bodies, as well as risk assessors from EU Member State food safety authorities working on dose-response modeling to participate in the workshop.

Read more

EFSA (January 24, 2017). “Benchmark dose modelling approach updated.

References

EFSA (January 24, 2017). “Update: Use of the benchmark dose approach in risk assessment.EFSA Journal 15(1):4658.

EFSA (January 24, 2017). “Outcome of a public consultation on the draft update of the guidance on the use of the benchmark dose approach in risk assessment.EFSA Supporting Publications EN-1147.

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