ABSTRACT
One of the most auspicious tasks of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has been to safety assessment of regulated products, such as food and feed additives, food contact materials, processing aids, genetically modified foods, and feeds and novel foods. The safety assessment of novel foods in the European Union (EU) is performed according to the principles outlined in the Regulation 2015/2283 on Novel Foods. Microorganisms intended as feed additives are by far subject to most stringent safety assessment in the EU. EFSA has two approaches regarding the safety assessment of individual microorganisms, regardless of its eventual use. There is a generic safety assessment base on the “qualified presumption of safety” (QPS), and there are specific safety studies required for those microorganisms that do not qualify for the QPS. The safety assessment procedures are outlined in the EFSA guidance document.
