In the European Union, official food safety monitoring data collected by member states are submitted to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and published on Zenodo. This data includes 392 million analytical results derived from over 15.2 million samples covering more than 4,000 different types of food products, offering great opportunities for artificial intelligence to analyze trends, predict hazards, and support early warning systems. However, the current format with data distributed across approximately 1000 files totaling several hundred gigabytes hinders accessibility and analysis. To address this, we introduce the CompreHensive European Food Safety (CHEFS) database, which consolidates EFSA monitoring data on pesticide residues, veterinary medicinal product residues, and chemical contaminants into a unified and structured dataset. We describe the creation and structure of the CHEFS database and demonstrate its potential by analyzing trends in European food safety monitoring data from 2000 to 2024. Our analyses explore changes in monitoring activities, the most frequently tested products, which products were most often non-compliant and which contaminants were most often found, and differences across countries. These findings highlight the CHEFS database as both a centralized data source and a strategic tool for guiding food safety policy, research, and regulation.

Lentils are seen as key crops of the future due to nutritional and agricultural benefits. This is complemented by a push to increase local production and consumption to aid the transition towards sustainable food systems. However, the evaluation of the multidimensional impacts of the lentil food system at the national level is yet to be realised. The current study conducts a holistic assessment of the lentil food system, from production to consumption. This includes 16 indicators covering four dimensions: nutritional risk and benefit, food safety encompassing chemical and microbiological risks and cost of illness, environmental impacts, and economic impacts. The study characterises the current situation and alternative scenarios reflecting how the lentil food system could evolve by 2050 in France. The results show that for domestic farmers, increased lentil consumption may generate economic and agricultural gains. However, microbial risk and environmental impacts were demonstrated to increase moderately by 2050. Overall, it was revealed that an increase in local production to satisfy a possible increase in consumer demand is a more favourable trade-off than more imports. Holistic assessment is an aid to draw a complete picture of food systems. Overall, this provides scientific evidence to support increased lentil consumption in the near future.

Mortality events in commercial rabbit production can lead to significant economic losses, highlighting the need for earlier identification of elevated mortality risk at the group level using routinely collected production data. This study presents a machine learning–based framework for predicting mortality risk at future observation points using routinely collected production data. Models were developed using group-level variables and evaluated with StratifiedGroupKFold cross-validation to prevent information leakage. The selected XGBoost model achieved a balanced performance, with a recall of 0.78 ± 0.03, precision of 0.59 ± 0.04, and ROC–AUC of 0.72 ± 0.02. Predictions were translated into an alert system based on a predefined threshold, prioritising sensitivity while maintaining a moderate false alert rate. A scenario-based cost–benefit analysis indicated that economic outcomes are highly dependent on intervention effectiveness, with positive returns observed under moderate to optimistic assumptions. Overall, the framework demonstrates the feasibility of integrating predictive modelling with alert-based decision support in rabbit production, although real-world validation under commercial farm conditions is required to confirm its practical effectiveness.

The identification of emerging risks in the food chain is essential for proactive food safety management in a rapidly evolving global environment. In this study, we applied a structured emerging risk identification framework supported by text mining of food safety news collected from the Europe Media Monitor (EMM) to analyse signals from 2022 to 2023. The workflow combines automated news collection, topic detection, and expert evaluation within a multi-stage filtering system. Using this approach, 164 emerging risks and drivers were identified during the study period. Chemical risks-including pesticide-related issues, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and microplastics-were among the most frequently detected topics, while sustainability-related developments such as alternative proteins and novel packaging technologies emerged as major drivers of change. Comparison with the 2020-2021 period indicates a marked increase in signals related to chemical contaminants and sustainability. These findings highlight the value of combining automated text mining of food safety news with expert-based evaluation to support timely emerging risk identification in the food chain.

Fumonisins are mycotoxins commonly found on corn and other grains, and have been linked to several health concerns. The aim of this study is to estimate the exposure of the Hungarian population to fumonisins from regular food consumption. Fumonisin B1 and B2 concentrations were determined in commercially available corn-, wheat- and rice-based foods. Daily intakes on an individual level were calculated deterministically based on recent individual food consumption data distributions, and the average contamination of the concerned food categories. The most significant sources of fumonisins were corn flour, cornmeal, cornflakes, other corn-based products, and wheat-based products (average total fumonisin contents in the middle bound scenario were 0.115, 0.074, 0.052, 0.091 and 0.077 mg/kg, respectively). In cases where the concentration values measured below the analytical determination limits, these were substituted by half of the corresponding limits (middle bound scenario). Mean and high (95th percentile) exposures to fumonisins B1 + B2 were 0.101 and 0.258 µg/bw kg/day for adults, and 0.313 and 0.744 µg/bw kg/day for children, respectively. Our results show that about 1.5% of children’s exposure could exceed the tolerable daily intake limit (TDI) of fumonisins, established by EFSA in 2018, meaning that potential health risks cannot be ruled out for a low proportion of consumers. We found that besides corn-based products, wheat-based food products could also contribute to total intake, due to their high consumption levels. Constant monitoring of fumonisin levels in corn- and wheat-based products is recommended to safeguard consumer health.

A tanulmányban a szerzők bemutatják egy egységes adatinfrastruktúra-rendszer kidolgozását az állatorvosi közegészségügyi és élelmiszerlánc-biztonsági adatok kezelésére, amelyet egy, az antimikrobiális rezisztencia elleni küzdelmet célzó projekt során készített repozíciós platform létrehozása alapoz meg. Az adatmodell lehetővé tette a releváns adatforrások adatbázisba integrálását, ezáltal az antibiotikumrezisztencia csökkentésére alkalmazható hatóanyagok adatvezérelt azonosítását. A jövőbeni cél egy adatinfrastruktúra rendszer létrehozása az állategészségügyi és élelmiszerlánc-biztonsági adatok integrálására átfogó, modern adatelemzési módszereken alapuló kutatásokhoz.

This report of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Advisory Group on Data presents the results of the group's activities in 2024. The mission of the group is to identify and launch projects solving the most pressing pain points of Member States and bringing benefits to the European food safety systems data and risk assessment community. In 2024, the Advisory Group reorganised its subgroups’ structure to ensure that all relevant topics could be progressed in an optimised way. In October 2024, the EFSA Symposium on Data Readiness for Artificial Intelligence took place in Parma, Italy. This was the first event planned by the Advisory Group on Data, bringing together renowned experts in the fields of AI. Also in attendance were members of the Advisory Group on Data subgroups, EFSA Advisory Forum members, EFSA Scientific Data networks members, EFSA's Focal Points and experts involved in Focal Point tailor-made activities on data.

Az utóbbi néhány évben a drónok kiemelt figyelmet kaptak számos tudományterületen. A mezőgazdaságban, elsősorban a növénytermesztés területén terjedtek el ezek az eszközök, azonban egyre inkább előtérbe kerülnek a haszonállattartáshoz, élelmiszer-biztonsághoz kapcsolódó megoldások is. A szerzők célja, hogy átfogó áttekintést nyújtsanak a drónok ez utóbbi területeket érintő alkalmazási lehetőségeiről. A részletes bemutatást követően különböző aspektusokhoz kapcsolódó kihívások és kilátások is összefoglalásra kerülnek. Legjobb tudásuk szerint ez az első olyan összefoglaló tanulmány a témában, amely elsősorban a megoldási lehetőségek szisztematikus bemutatására koncentrál.

A globális hajtóerők (klímaváltozás, demográfiai folyamatok, technológiai innováció és geopolitikai instabilitás) elősegítik az új élelmiszerlánc-biztonsági kockázatok megjelenését. A hatalmas mennyiségű adatot/információt lehetetlen manuálisan feldolgozni, az adatalapú előfeldolgozás elengedhetetlen. Az Állatorvostudományi Egyetem Élelmiszerlánc-tudományi Intézetében kidolgozásra került egy az élelmiszerlánc-biztonsági kockázatok korai azonosítását lehetővé tevő, adatvezérelt és szakértői validálással támogatott keretrendszer. Az adattudomány és a multidiszciplináris szakértelem szinergiája nélkülözhetetlen a proaktív kockázatkezeléshez; ez megalapozza a hatósági döntéseket, a kutatási prioritásokat és az ipari önellenőrzési rendszerek adaptálását a turbulens globális környezetben.

Az Európai Élelmiszer-biztonsági Hatóság (EFSA) és több tagállam évek óta közösen dolgoznak az európai élelmiszer-biztonsági kockázatértékelés képzési rendszerének megreformálásán. Ezek a képzések széttöredezettek, regionálisan egyenlőtlenek és döntően nemzeti nyelvűek, ami erősíti a szakemberhiányt és a mobilitási korlátokat. Két tanulmány, valamint egy EFSA kapacitásépítési munkacsoport felmérései szerint a munkáltatók 83 százaléka nehezen talál kellően képzett kockázatértékelőt, miközben a tantervekben alulreprezentált a statisztika, az adatmenedzsment és a kockázatkommunikáció is. A szerzők öt kulcskihívást azonosítanak (szakemberhiány, tanterv-fragmentáció, nyelviregionális akadályok, erőforráskorlátok, szabályozói dinamika), és ezekre integrált megoldáscsomagot javasolnak: uniós kompetenciakeret, kevert tanulás (blended-learning) és mikrokredites modulok, egyetem–hatóság partnerségek, célzott finanszírozás, valamint egy közös európai kezdeményezés, a European Excellence Label for Food Safety Risk Assessment (EEL) és annak xORA platformja (eXcellent One Health Risk Assessment Education). Az EEL és az xORA egy tanúsítási és kurzusnyilvántartási rendszer, amely átlátható szakértői értékeléssel minősíti a képzéseket, ösztönzi a tananyag-harmonizációt, és adatvezérelt tanulási útvonalakat kínál a hallgatóknak. Az említett beavatkozások összehangolt bevezetése lehetővé teszi, hogy 2030-ra Európa egységes, rugalmasan bővíthető és kiváló minőségű élelmiszer-biztonsági kockázatértékelési képzési térséggé váljon, mérsékelve a szakemberhiányt és erősítve az uniós fogyasztó- és közegészségügyi védelmet.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health concern, with the food production sector, particularly poultry production, playing a significant role in the spread of resistant bacteria. This study aims to identify and analyze the key factors influencing antimicrobial use (AMU) and thereby/or the spread of AMR within the poultry production chain, spanning from farm to consumer. A scoping literature review was conducted to investigate factors influencing AMU and/or the emergence and dissemination of AMR in poultry production. Knowledge synthesis was conducted from 69 relevant publications covering data from 41 countries. A total of 327 factors were identified from the various studies. Most factors (221) were related to knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) concerning farms. The other significant group, with 57 factors, involved intentional misuse or poor practices related to antimicrobials. The findings highlight the complexity of factors influencing AMR in poultry production, including financial pressures on farmers and varied training effectiveness. Integrated and tailored interventions are essential. Drug/feed sellers’ practices require stronger regulations, while economic motivations and policy gaps must be addressed. Systematic management of these interactions and further research on environmental and genetic influences are crucial for effective strategies to combat this pressing public health challenge.

This report of the European Food Safety Authority Advisory Group on Data presents the results of the group's activities in 2023. The group's mission is to demonstrate how digitalisation can improve food safety and nutrition in Europe. In 2023, the group carried out a survey among its stakeholders on data-related priorities. The group and its subgroups developed and prioritised new project ideas in the key areas and monitored the progress of ongoing multi-country data projects initiated by the group. The group liaised with the European Commission on ongoing data initiatives and discussed the implications and opportunities of digitalisation as well as the role of artificial intelligence (AI) for the European food safety data ecosystem.

Background Patents are indicators of technological developments. The science & technology categories, to which they are assigned to, form a directed, weighted network where the links are the references between patents belonging to the respective categories. This network can be conceived as a kind of intellectual ecology, lending itself to mathematical analyses analogous to those carried out in numerical ecology. The non-metric Bray–Curtis dissimilarity, commonly used in quantitative ecology, can be used to describe the internal dynamics of this network. Results While the degree-distribution of the network remained stable during the studied years, that of the sub-networks of with at least k links showed that k = 5 is a critical number of citations: this many are needed that the bias towards already highly cited works come into effect (preferential attachment). Using the d ij Bay-Curtis dissimilarity between nodes i and j , a surprising pattern emerged: the log-probability of a change in d ij during a quarter of year depended linearly, with a negative coefficient, on the magnitude of the change itself. Conclusions The developed methodology could be useful to detect emerging technological developments, to aid decisions, for example, on resource allocation. The pattern found on the internal dynamics of the system depends on the categorisation of the patents, therefore it can serve as an indicator when comparing different categorisation methods. Graphical Abstract

Food systems are composed of interrelated activities that transform agricultural products into food. Their operations need to meet several food security, food safety, and sustainability requirements. Therefore, risk assessment of food systems must be multidisciplinary and include food safety, nutrition, environmental, economics, and social criteria. However, combining these criteria to assess multiple impacts remains a challenge in complex and multi-stakeholder systems. Until now, only a few holistic assessments, whether domain-oriented or generic and with different levels of quantification, have covered all criteria and the whole food systems. We reviewed and presented the various assessment methods and their applications in food systems, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. Recommendations were made for a tiered approach combining different holistic assessment methods.

Background: Recurrent avian influenza outbreaks and its rising incidence in mammals underscore the need for improved biosecurity on poultry farms to prevent the disease. Objectives: This study evaluates the biosecurity status of Hungarian poultry farms, focusing on national trends, regional differences, and correlation with avian influenza outbreaks. Materials and Methods: Data from the Biosecurity Audit System of the Hungarian Poultry Product Board and the National Food Chain Safety Office for 2021-2022 were analyzed. Self-audit scores and outbreak data were statistically examined. Results and Discussion: Regional differences in biosecurity scores were found, with northern and northwestern regions generally scoring higher than southern areas. Scores also varied significantly by poultry species. A decline in scores from 2021 to 2022 was observed, with company-owned farms consistently outperforming individually managed ones. Farms with outbreaks in both years had higher biosecurity scores than those affected in only one or not at all. These findings emphasize the importance of ongoing biosecurity improvements and regular monitoring to reduce disease risk and enhance poultry health.

A kutatásukban a szerzők a magyarországi baromfiállományok járványvédelmi helyzetének felmérését és kiértékelését végezték, a Baromfi Termék Tanács és a Nemzeti Élelmiszerlánc-biztonsági Hivatal adatbázisainak felhasználásával. A 2021–2022-es időszakot felölelő vizsgálat során a járványvédelmi önaudit pontszámokat elemezték, ill. hasonlították össze a magas patogenitású madárinfluenza- járványkitörések adataival. Az eredményeik alapján a járványvédelmi pontszámok átlagosan csökkentek 2022-ben 2021-hez képest, különösen bizonyos régiókban és baromfifajok esetében. Összefüggést is találtak a járványvédelmi pontszámok és a járványkitörések között, amely alapján a kitörésekben mindkét évben érintett telepek szignifikánsan nagyobb pontszámot értek el, mint csak az egyik évben vagy nem érintett telepek.

Systematic screening for risks emerging in the food chain is essential for the protection of consumer health, however, timely identification of risks is not a trivial task because of the data and information gaps. By creating automated or semi-automated algorithms, a large amount of information can be pre-processed which helps experts to filter for the actual emerging risks that need further assessment. The present study gives an overview on the possible data analytical approaches that can be used for emerging risk screening and presents a practically applicable process management system. By using these methods, 58 emerging risks classified into 10 topics have been identified in 2020 and 2021 with the focus on Hungary and the European Union. The main goal is to aid authorities and industry in preparedness and timely acting to avoid or mitigate future risks. Experiences and limitations of the system and future directions are also presented.

This report of the European Food Safety Authority Advisory Group on Data presents the outcomes of the activities of the group in 2022. The mission of the group is to show how digitalisation can improve food safety and nutrition in Europe. In 2022 the group initiated five different tangible projects solving the most pressing pain points in the data management processes of the EU Member States and initiated the creation of six subgroups to foster more detailed and technical discussions on data in the European Food Safety System.

The conversion of aflatoxin B1 in feed consumed by cows into aflatoxin M1 in their milk poses a challenge to food safety, with milk being a popular staple food and because of the harmful effects of these compounds. This study aimed at reviewing scientific information about the extent of carry-over of AFB1 from feed to milk. A range of studies reported about correlations of carry-over with different factors, particularly with milk yield and AFB1 intake. The extent of carry-over considerably varies, being 1–2% on average, which may be as high as 6% in the case of increased milk production. Specific factors influencing transfer rates, including milk yield, somatic cell counts, aflatoxin B1 intake, source of contamination, seasonal effects, particle size of feed, and the effects of certain interventions, namely vaccination and the use of adsorbents, are identified as the most important and are discussed in this review. The different mathematical formulas describing carry-over and instances of their application are reviewed as well. These carry-over equations may lead to largely different results, and no single carry-over equation can be suggested as the best one. While the exact quantification of carry-over is difficult as the process depends on many factors, including individual variabilities between animals, the intake of aflatoxin B1 and milk yield seem to be the most important factors influencing the excreted amount of aflatoxin M1 and the rate of carry-over.

The study presents a systematic review of published scientific articles investigating the effects of interventions aiming at aflatoxin reduction at the feed production and animal feeding phases of the milk value chain in order to identify the recent scientific trends and summarize the main findings available in the literature. The review strategy was designed based on the guidance of the systematic review and knowledge synthesis methodology that is applicable in the field of food safety. The Web of Science and EBSCOhost online databases were searched with predefined algorithms. After title and abstract relevance screening and relevance confirmation with full-text screening, 67 studies remained for data extraction, which were included in the review. The most important identified groups of interventions based on their mode of action and place in the technological process are as follows: low-moisture production using preservatives, acidity regulators, adsorbents and various microbiological additives. The results of the listed publications are summarized and compared for all the identified intervention groups. The paper aimed to help feed producers, farmers and relevant stakeholders to get an overview of the most suitable aflatoxin mitigation options, which is extremely important in the near future as climate change will likely be accompanied by elevated mycotoxin levels.