EFSA Biohazards Panel

The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) Panel on Biological Hazards held its seventh plenary meeting in the offices of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) on the 2^nd and 3^rd June 2004.

The Panel on Biological Hazards deals with questions on biological hazards relating to food safety and foodborne disease, including encephalopathies, microbiology, food hygiene and associated waste management.  The Panel is chaired by Professor J D Collins, who is also an FSAI Board member and Chair of the FSAI’s BSE Sub-committee. 

Over the course of the two days there was a discussion and possible adoption of opinions on the issues of chronic wasting diseases in animals and the biodiesel process as a method for the safe disposal of category one animal by-products.  There were also discussions on draft opinions relating to antimicrobials and vaccines to control Salmonella.

The members were given progress reports on the following issues:

• Campylobacter in animals and foodstuffs
• Microbiological risks in infant foods
• Bacillus in foodstuffs
• Clostridium in foodstuffs
• Revision of meat inspection for beef
• Freezing methods for Trichinella and Cysticercus
• Risk assessment of Trichinella
• Risk assessment of Cysticercus
• Risk assessment of Cysticercus in calves
• Stunning of cattle and risk of BSE
• Quantitative risk assessment for residual BSE risk
• Animal by-products
  • Safety of vis-á-vis biological risk including TSEs of biogas and compost treatment standards of animal by-products.

After dealing with the major scientific issues, the Panel turned to the organisation of the working group and the issue of self-tasking.  There was also a discussion on ways to ensure an appropriate interaction between risk assessment and risk management.  Overall, the Panel members had a highly satisfactory meeting.

To find out more about EFSA and the Biohazards Panel, please visit the EFSA website at: http://www.efsa.eu.int.