Consumer

#EUChooseSafeFood

Did you know that food safety relies on science? The #EUChooseSafeFood campaign can help you make informed decisions about everyday food choices and explain the science behind EU food safety.

What is a hazard? What is a risk? Do you know the difference?

Hazard vs. risk: Do you know the difference?

Hazard: A Hazard is something that has the potential to harm you.

Risk: Risk is the likelihood of a hazard causing harm.

Is it safe to eat insects? How many cups of coffee can I have per day? How are human, animal and plant health connected? Can we determine animal welfare standards based on scientific evidence? Take a closer look at some of the key topics that EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority, works on to ensure safe food, through providing independent scientific advice to policy makers.

EFSA at a glance

EFSA has just published its new interactive tool "EFSA at a glance", which provides an overview on what EFSA does, how the Authority works and with whom.

Results of the quality control of drinking water

The integrated quality control of the water, includes all the stages, starting from a systematic control of surface and ground water, treated water from desalination and water treatment plants, and finally the control of the drinking water at the consumer's tap.

COVID-19 and food safety

Find available information on the COVID-19 coronavirus in relation to food

Eat fish safely during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Make the right choices

The European study HBM4EU-MOM confirmed that fish can be consumed safely during pregnancy, by choosing to eat the right type of fish, in the right amounts and frequencies. The study involved pregnant women from five coastal European countries: Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Iceland

How do animals affect human?

The infographic explains how animal diseases can affect humans (through food, via bites of insects, direct contact)

How to cut down on acrylamide in Foods (TIPS)

What is acrylamide in food, how acrylamide forms and in which foods? How can we reduce it? (Created by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA))

What to do with the chicken?

Film advises consumers about kitchen hygiene. (Created by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in the field of consumer health protection).

Pesticide Residue Control Results - “National Summary Report of Cyprus – 2018”

When chemicals mix - Assessing the risks to humans, animals and the environment

People, animals and the environment can be exposed to multiple chemicals from a variety of sources. EFSA has already developed some approaches for assessing combined exposure to multiple pesticides and contaminants in humans and multiple pesticides in bees. EFSA's scientists are further developing new approaches and tools for harmonising how we assess risks to humans and the environment from multiple chemicals in the food chain: “chemical mixtures” and their “cocktail effects”.

(Created by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA))

AMR data visualization interactive tool

This interactive tool is a simpler representation of the annual data concerning the resistance of Salmonella, E. Coli and Campylobacter in food, animals and humans, country by country collected by EFSA and ECDC, which now also includes data from 2021-2022.

Food Technology. For Food at its Best.

How does your steak stay delicious? Why does your orange juice remain enjoyable for days? Food technology such as pasteurisation and packaging keeps you safe and your food fresh and tasty. (Τhe video was produced by the European Commission)

A multilingual glossary of scientific terms - From allergen to zoonotic

Simple definitions of more than 250 scientific terms will bring extra clarity to the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) communications, helping lay audiences with an interest in EFSA’s work to understand what are sometimes complex scientific concepts and conclusions. The glossary is available in English, French, German and Italian in the form of an A-Z list. It will also be gradually integrated in into EFSA’s news and topics. (Created by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA))

What are preservatives in Cosmetics and why do we need them?

A preservative is a natural or synthetic ingredient that is added to products to prevent them from spoiling. The availability of a wide and safe range of preservatives is one of the key challenges to the cosmetics sector. Preservatives are present in cosmetics to reduce the risk of microbial contamination of the product and to ensure the product remains suitable and safe during shelf-life and the period of its use by consumers. Without the use of preservatives, cosmetic products - just like food and other products handled directly by consumers - can become contaminated with microorganisms, leading to product spoilage, loss of product performance, and possibly irritation, infections or other adverse health reactions to the consumer. (Created by the European Commission)

Ciguatera Food Poisoning

Ciguatera is a food poisoning caused by the ingestion of fish that are contaminated by ciguatera toxins. The fish involved in this illness have accumulated ciguatoxins produced by microalgae, whose habitat is the warm waters of coral reefs, such as Caribbean Sea and Pacific and Indian Oceans (endemic areas). Ciguatoxin is temperature-stable, so it is not destroyed by cooking or by freezing. Furthermore, it is colorless, odorless and flavorless which hinders its perception. Despite rare and low risk, be aware of the main symptoms: Gastrointestinal, Cardiovascular, Neurological Symptoms and other Symptoms such as persistent general, weakness, muscle and joint pains, headaches, dizziness, tremors, severe sweating. (Find more information in the leaflet which has been elaborated by ASAE with the collaboration of AECOSAN).

What is Novel Food?

The term “novel food” refers to food not consumed to any significant degree by humans in the EU prior to 15 May 1997. Novel food refers to new food sources or newly developed and innovative food, food produced using new technologies and production processes, and food traditionally eaten outside of, but not within the EU. More….. (Created by the European Commission) Related links: http://bit.ly/2gAAS3J

“When Food is Cooking up a Storm: Proven Recipes for Risk Communications”

Τhe European Food Safety Agency EFSA published the 3rd edition of the joint EFSA - CEN publication, of the Risk Communication guidelines. The guidelines can serve as a risk communication handbook for decision-makers across public food safety authorities who want to successfully integrate risk communication demands into the risk assessment and management process. They provide specific information for all interested parties on food safety, risk assessment methods and the tasks of the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA). This updated edition includes new case studies on caffeine and acrylamide in food, a new overview on communicating uncertainty in science and an updated chapter on using social media. (Created jointly by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and Communiation Expert Network (CEN))

Consumer Information

#EUChooseSafeFood

What is a hazard? What is a risk? Do you know the difference?

Podcast: Science on the menu

EFSA at a glance

Results of the quality control of drinking water

COVID-19 and food safety

Eat fish safely during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Make the right choices

How do animals affect human?

How to cut down on acrylamide in Foods (TIPS)

What to do with the chicken?

Pesticide Residue Control Results - “National Summary Report of Cyprus – 2018”

When chemicals mix - Assessing the risks to humans, animals and the environment

AMR data visualization interactive tool

Food Technology. For Food at its Best.

A multilingual glossary of scientific terms - From allergen to zoonotic

What are preservatives in Cosmetics and why do we need them?

Ciguatera Food Poisoning

What is Novel Food?

“When Food is Cooking up a Storm: Proven Recipes for Risk Communications”