Statement on the use and interpretation of the margin of exposure approach.

The margin of exposure (MOE) is a risk assessment tool used to evaluate the safety of substances in food and feed. Adopted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2005, the MOE is calculated as the ratio between a Reference Point (RP) and the estimated exposure. While some regulatory bodies use 'margin of safety' (MOS) interchangeably with MOE, others define it differently, leading to inconsistencies in interpretation.

Guidance on the use of read-across for chemical safety assessment in food and feed.

Read-across is a method used in chemical risk assessment to predict the toxicological properties of a target substance by using data from structurally and mechanistically similar substances, known as source substances. EFSA's Scientific Committee has developed an approach for using read-across in food and feed risk assessment. This method provides a step-by-step guide to applying read-across as part of a weight-of-evidence evaluation for individual substances.

Updated consumer risk assessment of fluoride in food and drinking water including the contribution from other sources of oral exposure.

This updated risk assessment evaluated evidence on potential adverse health effects of fluoride related to all sources of oral exposure as mandated by the European Commission. Fluoride benefit assessment was not included. Effects on the central nervous system, thyroid and bone were prioritised.

Conventional cooked and raw dog diets: Swiss owners' risk perception and knowledge.

An increasing number of dog owners are opting for raw, homemade meat diets over commercial feed. However, these diets pose two major risks: pathogens on raw meat can pose health risks to humans and dogs and an incorrect nutrient balance can affect dog health. Research has highlighted knowledge gaps regarding pathogens and hygiene practices and misunderstandings regarding the risks of conventional cooked vs.

The Cost Outcome Pathway framework: Integrating socio-economic impacts to Adverse Outcome Pathways for supporting policy makers.

The Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) concept leverages existing data to formalize and disseminate knowledge and is a well-accepted concept in chemical risk assessment. However, it does not handle the socio-economic impact that environmentally-induced diseases may generate, which might be highly relevant for risk management and prioritization. Here, we propose to connect the AOP framework by bridging an Adverse Outcome (AO) to Cost Outcomes (CO) creating so-called Cost Outcome Pathways (COPs) for including the socio-economic costs of exposure to chemicals into the AOP framework.

The role of actively open-minded thinking in willingness to take civic and political action on genome-edited food in the United States and Switzerland.

Actively open-minded thinking (AOT) is a set of standards for good thinking, including avoiding overconfidence and a willingness to change one's mind in response to new information. While AOT is theorized to aid individuals in navigating complex and polarizing issues, little prior literature has examined the role of AOT in public responses to emerging technologies. This study examines how engagement in AOT relates to civic and political action on genome editing.

Improving how we use workshops when solving complex research problems: reflections from the CHANGE project.

Organising workshops that successfully address complex research problems is a challenge, especially when the research involves interest-holders with diverse roles and expertise and potentially conflicting values and viewpoints. In this article, we describe and reflect on the approach we took to organising the CHANGE workshop, held in Oslo in June 2024. CHANGE is a complex 3-year project involving the collecting, analysing, and developing cross-sector consensus on a challenging topic.

The use of data for health and welfare management of farmed salmons in Norway, Scotland, and Ireland.

Data-driven solutions can support stakeholders' decision-making when managing health and welfare in Atlantic salmon production. While many different types of data are being collected, knowledge about stakeholders' use and needs regarding this data and data tools in their day-to-day work is limited. The current study explores the status quo of using data and data tools in salmon health management and needs of the stakeholders.

Not so different anymore? Women's and men's disgust sensitivity becomes similar with increasing age.

Previous research provides ample evidence that women experience more disgust than men. The most prominent explanation for these effects is that women are more careful and sensitive about their health due to the possibility of harming potential offspring. Given that the probability for women to give birth is decreasing after a certain age (i.

New approach methodologies in human health risk assessment across European regulatory frameworks: Status quo, barriers and drivers for regulatory acceptance and use.

The traditional approaches to chemical risk assessment for human health are continuously challenged by their limitations, such as validity concerns, societal pressure to use animal-free methods, and resource constraints. New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) are considered a promising avenue toward modernisation of chemical risk assessment practices but their implementation in practice has been slow. This article aims to investigate the perspectives of human health risk assessors on the status quo, barriers and drivers of the acceptance and use of NAMs across different regulatory frameworks.

Industry stakeholders attitudes and beliefs about tail biting and docking in pigs - A case study in Switzerland and Spain.

Background: Tail docking is still widely used in major European pig-producing countries despite efforts to ban it. The present study aimed to understand the attitudes and beliefs of pig farming professionals in Spain and Switzerland regarding tail biting and tail docking. For this, n = 275 Swiss, and n = 87 Spanish participants completed an online questionnaire regarding the issue of tail biting and docking in pigs and their attitudes and beliefs.

Data recording and use of data tools for pig health management: perspectives of stakeholders in pig farming.

Introduction: Data-driven strategies might combat the spreading of infectious pig disease and improve the early detection of potential pig health problems. The current study aimed to explore individual views on data recording and use of data tools for pig health management by recruiting stakeholders ( = 202) in Spain, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

Methods: Questionnaire focused on current on-farm challenges, current status of data recording on farms, and evaluation of the two mock data tools.

Risks to human and animal health from the presence of bromide in food and feed.

The European Commission mandated EFSA to assess the toxicity of bromide, the existing maximum residue levels (MRLs), and possible transfer from feed into food of animal origin. The critical effects of bromide in experimental animals are on the thyroid and central nervous system. Changes in thyroid hormone homeostasis could result in neurodevelopmental toxicity, among other adverse effects.

Public views of animal testing and alternatives in chemical risk assessment.

Next-Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) aims to implement New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) into risk assessment and to rely on new in vivo testing in animals only as a last resort. However, various technical and regulatory hurdles impede their regulatory implementation. Assumptions about the public's expectations could act as barriers to the acceptance of NAMs.

Intuitive toxicology in the 21st century-Bridging the perspectives of the public and risk assessors in Europe.

Three decades ago, several articles on the subjectivity in chemical risk judgments (i.e., labeled "intuitive toxicology") measured the divide between the public and toxicologists with different backgrounds regarding the validity of predicting health effects based on in vivo studies.

Consumers' perceptions and acceptance of genome editing in agriculture: Insights from the United States of America and Switzerland.

The terms "New Genomic Techniques" (NGTs) or "Genome Editing" refer to various methods that allow finding, cleaving, and repairing specific sequences in the genome. These techniques could contribute to managing various challenges in plant breeding and agriculture. Aside from regulatory uncertainties, the lack of consumer acceptance has frequently been cited as a significant barrier to the widespread use of NGTs in plant breeding and agriculture across the planet.

Trust and trustworthy artificial intelligence: A research agenda for AI in the environmental sciences.

Demands to manage the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) are growing. These demands and the government standards arising from them both call for trustworthy AI. In response, we adopt a convergent approach to review, evaluate, and synthesize research on the trust and trustworthiness of AI in the environmental sciences and propose a research agenda.

Childhood poisonings: Effects of ambiguous product characteristics on preschool children's categorization of household chemicals.

This study investigated preschool children's categorization and risk perception of products with ambiguous product characteristics (e.g., food-like packaging).

Protecting the children -a virtual reality experiment on consumers' risk perceptions of household chemicals.

Warnings on the labels of hazardous household chemicals (e.g. warning pictograms and use instructions) should create risk awareness and thus encourage safe storage, handling and disposal.

Biocidal products: Opportunities in risk assessment, management, and communication.

In the coronavirus disease 2019 era, biocidal products are increasingly used for controlling harmful organisms, including microorganisms. However, assuring safety against adverse health effects is a critical issue from a public health standpoint. This study aimed to provide an overview of key aspects of risk assessment, management, and communication that ensure the safety of biocidal active ingredients and products.