EFSA releases 2024 annual report on emerging risks

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published its 2024 Annual Report on Emerging Risks and Horizon Scanning Activities, highlighting the organization’s ongoing commitment to enhancing food and feed safety across Europe.    

The report has five sections: a summary of 2024's emerging risk issues, a discussion of relevant long-term issues, an outline of EFSA's risk identification and horizon scanning, an overview of partner contributions, and a preview of 2025 activities.    

This comprehensive report underscores EFSA's proactive approach to identifying and analyzing emerging risks in collaboration with a global network of partners.    

In 2024, EFSA identified a total of 65 potential emerging issues, further characterizing 38 of these concerns and classifying 7 as significant emerging risks. The majority of these identified risks pertained to contaminants and biological hazards, areas that require vigilant monitoring and response.    

Among the seven identified emerging risks, the report highlights issues such as the rising incidence of Chagas disease in Europe and North America, driven by foodborne transmission routes.
Additionally, concerns regarding antifungal resistance in the food chain were noted, with specific multi-resistant strains detected in various regions.  
Another critical concern is the contamination of plant-based protein ingredients with acrylamide. The increasing demand for these ingredients necessitates further investigation into their safety and the impacts of food preparation methods.  
The report also discusses risks posed by biodegradable food contact materials, which may inadvertently introduce gluten into gluten-free foods, potentially endangering individuals with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.    

In addition to identifying emerging risks, EFSA conducted horizon-scanning activities, reviewing 19 reports and identifying 10 significant signals for further analysis. However, these signals did not warrant immediate changes to EFSA’s work program or strategy.    

Looking ahead, EFSA plans to enhance its collaborative efforts through a multi-agency horizon-scanning exercise in 2025, further solidifying its commitment to a forward-looking, integrated approach to food safety. This initiative will involve several EU agencies and aim to strengthen the development of proactive strategies that address potential future challenges.    

The report reflects EFSA's strategic objective to ensure preparedness for future risk analysis needs, a goal articulated in its Strategy 2027. EFSA’s ongoing dedication to risk assessment and management is crucial for safeguarding public health and maintaining consumer confidence in food systems across Europe.    

Source:  

EFSA