European experts identified seven emerging risks and requested information on a host of other issues as part of meetings held in 2024, according to a recent report.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) collected 65 emerging issues, of which seven were identified as emerging risks. In 2023, 32 issues were discussed and five were listed as emerging risks.

EFSA networks contributing to emerging risks identification include the Emerging Risks Exchange Network (EREN) and the Stakeholder Discussion Group on Emerging Risks.

The seven emerging risks included food safety and antifungal resistance, proliferation of ostreopsis, acrylamide contamination in plant-based protein, and Chagas disease.

Emerging risk examples
Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Illness occurs mostly in South and Central America but incidence is rising in Europe and North America. Scientists previously called for Chagas disease to be included in updated World Health Organization estimates on the global burden of foodborne disease expected later this year. Experts asked for additional data on the foodborne transmission route while monitoring the potential spread of the disease in Europe.

Fungal diseases are on the rise globally. Data suggests that multi-resistant Candida strains (like Candida auris) are being detected in the food chain in certain parts of the world. EREN experts expressed concern about the growing prevalence of fungal pathogens and the lack of effective treatment options due to resistance.

There is growing concern about acrylamide contamination in plant-based protein ingredients, with increasing demand for these ingredients in food. There are no regulations requiring acrylamide determination in such foods, but industrial processing and domestic and restaurant cooking produce varying amounts of acrylamide as a result of the Maillard reaction. Experts agreed that although this was not a new hazard, there was increased exposure, and more data was needed on consumption, acrylamide content in ingredients and the impact of processing and cooking them.

In summer 2021, Ostreopsis blooms caused outbreaks on France’s South-West coast, affecting at least 674 people with flu-like symptoms. The primary exposure route was likely aerosolized palytoxins. EREN said this was an emerging risk but noted it may not be related to food.

A need for information
For several issues, scientists said more information was needed. One subject was foodborne infections caused by Yersinia while another was vertical transmission of Salmonella Reading from hens to eggs.

Outbreaks of Salmonella Reading occurred in the U.S. and Canada from 2017 to 2020 with exposure through handling raw turkey products or working with live turkeys. EU researchers said more information was required on vertical transmission in production environments.

Another topic was low awareness and control for Toxoplasma along the production chain. The lack of reports of foodborne Toxoplasma gondii is attributed to the fact that surveillance is not mandatory. According to EREN experts, Toxoplasma should be included in the foodborne monitoring program in Europe.

Several species of Arcobacter are regarded as emerging food pathogens and may cause gastrointestinal problems. Scientists said there is a need for robust data linking human illness with contaminated food consumption. They agreed on the importance of gathering data on etiology and epidemiology. A similar request was made about Helicobacter pullorum.

Edwardsiella tarda is a pathogen that can cause infections through the consumption of fish and seafood. An increase in potential exposure has been noted, however it’s not clear if part of this is because of changes in detection methods, clinical awareness, and drivers like consumption of raw fish. More data on prevalence in aquaculture fish production, retail levels, and human cases in the EU is required.

Reports from China in 2024 highlighted food safety concerns about cooking oil transported in tankers previously used for fuels without proper cleaning. The issue was brought to the attention of the EU Commission’s Food Fraud Network.

There were also several topics that were not judged to be emerging risks. These included 3-MCPD in pre-fried foods, insect-based foods in e-commerce, home composting, and adulterated olive oils.