EFSA EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY,newsletter

 

Highlights Newsletter 14 JANUARY 2026 Microplastics: European Parliament requests scientific advice from EFSA The opinion will focus on the potential health risks posed by microplastics in food, water and air. By the end of 2027, EFSA experts will review the latest evidence on microplastics, including how microplastics enter and affect the human body; how they are transferred into food; and the methods to assess related risks. They will also provide updated  dietary exposure estimates based on new data from the literature. Read more Latest news EFSA: introduction of bird flu from US dairy cattle to Europe very unlikely, but vigilance urged The likelihood of the  strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) found in US dairy cows reaching Europe is very low, according to new advice by EFSA. Avian influenza: new outbreaks expected in Europe until winter ends In the closing months of 2025, Europe has witnessed a marked increase in cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza among wild birds, leading to widespread outbreaks in poultry farms and a rise in detections among carnivorous mammals. Serious Listeria infections rising in Europe, EU report warns Changing diets and an ageing population may be contributing to a rise in serious Listeria infections across Europe, according to the new EU One Health Zoonoses Report from EFSA and ECDC. Episode 35 – Bean there, cooked that: are raw legumes safe? Which type of lectins are the most damaging, and what can we learn from our ancestors when it comes to preparing traditional recipes safely? Join us as we explore safe preparation and cooking techniques that will help you enjoy nutritious legumes with confidence. Check out our latest podcast! Episode 34 – Cost, origin, taste: what influences our food choices? What’s most important to you when you buy food? Is it how much it costs, how it tastes, where it comes from or something else? In this episode, we’re exploring the results of our latest Eurobarometer survey, how the survey is conducted and what it tells us about our food choices. Check out our podcast episode! See all news Don't miss EFSA's WhatsApp channel Stay informed with the latest food safety updates, scientific assessments and more - delivered straight to your phone. Join us with just one click and be part of the conversation on safe and sustainable food. LinkedIn group for applicants Need to file an application for a regulated product? Join our community to find information and support materials, updates on the developments of IT tools, alerts on new training material and events, frequently asked questions, etc. You’ll have the opportunity to interact with some 900 peer applicants, laboratories, and research representatives. Social media MRL review EFSA reviews on an ongoing basis the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for active substances used in plant protection products. To enable stakeholders to better prepare for and support the MRL review, EFSA maintains a regularly updated progress report on the review programme. Next update is scheduled for March. New data collection will be launched in February for the active substance lenacil. In the last months, EFSA received three ad-hoc mandates from the European Commission: a request for a technical report on the approach for risk assessment of copper compounds under different plant protection product (PPP) frameworks; a request to provide a scientific opinion concerning the risks for public health related to the presence of chlorate in food from all sources, taking also into account its presence in drinking water; a request for an updated MRL risk assessment for bifenthrin. Instructions on the review of existing MRLs are available on our dedicated pesticides topic page along with supporting tools and templates. Publications Integrating abundance and movement data to improve estimates of wild bird movement probability in the early warning system for avian influenza in the EU The Bird Flu Radar tool is an early warning system for HPAI based on wild bird movement and abundance. Here we develop the wild bird movement component of the Bird Flu Radar model by exploiting abundance data, which have greater spatio-temporal coverage than movement (ring-recovery or tracking) data. Published 6 January 2026 Surveillance of West Nile virus infections in humans and animals in Europe, monthly report – data submitted up to 3 December 2025 In 2025, and as of 3 December, 14 countries in Europe reported 1112 locally acquired human cases of WNV infection. Case numbers reported this year were above the average for the past decade (758). However, these figures remained lower than those seen in 2018, 2022, and 2024 – years when virus circulation was particularly intense, with over 1300 cases reported. Published 10 December 2025 See all publications #EFSAGLOSSARY Dietary exposure For the purposes of risk assessment, measurement of the amount of a substance consumed by a person or animal in their diet that is intentionally added or unintentionally present (e.g. a nutrient, additive or pesticide). See EFSA glossary Events 139th PLH Plenary meeting - Open for Observers 18 February (online) To attend online, register here Deadline: 9 February 2026 See all events Engage with us Call for data on head-only electrical stunning of heavy pigs Deadline: 15 January 2026 – Call for data Call for data on unprocessed fresh produce packaging Deadline: 30 January 2026 – Call for data See all calls Draft protocols for the development of the guidance on the risk assessment of PPP to non-target arthropods, in-soil organisms and non-target terrestrial plants Deadline: 28 January 2026 – Public consultation Application for an amendment to conditions of approval for bifenazate Deadline: 29 January 2026 – Public consultation See all consultations Vacancies Scientific Data Officer EFSA is looking for a Scientific Data Officer (Contract Agent, Function Group IV) Deadline: 19 January 2026 – Job opportunity See all vacancies "Science, safe food, sustainability" EFSA is an agency of the European Union