Monitoring and surveillance data for chemical risk assessment needs in EFSA: exploring available sources

Abstract

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) commissioned the project ‘Monitoring and surveillance data for future chemical risk assessment needs in EFSA: Exploring new opportunities’ to anticipate emerging challenges in chemical risk assessment by identifying and prioritising data needs for monitoring and surveillance across human, animal and environmental health domains. The objectives were to map these needs against relevant data sources and provide recommendations to improve data access and generation. Eight chemical groups were examined: pesticides, environmental pollutants, biogenic substances, food additives and flavourings, food enzymes, food contact materials, feed additives and processing contaminants. The study applied a structured approach combining a review of EFSA outputs, peer-reviewed literature, and an online survey of EFSA scientific units. Forty-four data gaps were identified, with 21 prioritised as highly relevant. Critical gaps include occurrence data in processed foods, metabolites and degradation products, human biomonitoring, combined exposure scenarios and data for sensitive or underrepresented populations. Data source mapping included screening 66,958 literature entries, conducting web searches and consulting with stakeholders, yielding 230 unique data sources, of which only 49.6% (114) met eligibility criteria. Coverage varied significantly: pesticides and environmental pollutants were well represented, while food enzymes and feed additives exhibited severe deficiencies. Persistent challenges include fragmentation, poor interoperability, restricted access to private datasets and limited geographical representativeness, hindering the operationalisation of the One Health approach. The recommendations focus on generating new data to address underrepresented gaps, harmonising standards through FAIR principles and FoodEx2, improving data sharing via open or controlled-access frameworks, and supporting the development of the EU Common Data Platform for Chemicals. Implementing these measures will enhance data accessibility and interoperability, reinforcing scientific rigor and enabling EFSA to deliver proportionate, One Health-aligned risk assessments for emerging chemical challenges.