A key objective of EFSA is the evaluation of new methodologies and technologies for risk assessment applied to food and feed safety. These may present complex methodological challenges for risk assessment as well as opportunities for emerging risk identification, impacting EFSA’s mid- to long-term work. Omics technologies (e.g. transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, toxicogenomics) are firmly established as research tools, gaining credibility in risk assessment as they may offer certain advantages over traditional approaches.
A growing body of evidence is becoming available on the application of omics for the identification of new hazards and emerging risks, including toxicological screening of chemical substances, and the identification of new and reliable biomarkers. Whilst omics may have major implications for EFSA’s scientific activities, it is not clear how and to what extent omics technologies can be integrated with the current risk assessment framework. This procurement aimed to critically review the state of the art of omics technologies applied to food and feed safety, in order to understand possible future implications for risk assessment and emerging risk identification in the areas under EFSA’s remit.
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