On December 16, 2016, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published the 2016 report of its Scientific Network for Risk Assessment of Nanotechnologies in Food and Feed (Nano Network) in the EFSA journal. The Nano Network currently consists of delegates from 23 EU Member States (MS) and Norway and hosts delegates from the European Commission (EC), other EU agencies, EFSA’s Scientific Committee, and other relevant EFSA units or panels at its meetings. The Network convenes once a year to “exchange scientific views on issues relevant for the risk assessment of nanomaterials in the agricultural/food/feed products.” At the 2016 meeting, the Nano Network focused on its four priority topics: 1) “the need for an inventory of nanomaterials in products on the market,” 2) “the analysis of products under development or on the market,” 3) “the need for suitable measuring methods e.g. for physico-chemical properties,” and 4) “the need for validated test methods in vitro and in vivo.”
The attending MS delegates received updates on EFSA’s reevaluation of food additives, EFSA’s 2011 guidance for risk assessment of nanomaterials in agricultural/food/feed products, as well as the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) guidance development. Four MS delegates presented “national views on risk communication about engineered nanomaterial versus nanofractions, implementing the new Novel Food Regulation, read-across, intake levels and toxicokinetic considerations.” The EC presented its activities, particularly regarding safety-related research projects by the EC’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD). These projects provide “technical information on the implementation of the EC Recommended definition for Nanomaterial” and “fill knowledge gaps with respect to safety.” Also, the new Novel Food legislation and three Horizon 2020 projects were presented.
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EFSA (December 16, 2016). “Annual report of the EFSA Scientific Network of Risk Assessment of Nanotechnologies in Food and Feed for 2016.”
