Proactive Understanding of Regulated and Emerging contaminants in novel FOODs in Europe

Objective

The EU market for novel foods is expanding rapidly, with current products including novel plant-based alternatives, edible insects, mycoproteins, 3D-printed foods, algae-based foods, and edible packaging. Looking ahead, more novel foods are expected to enter the EU market, such as cultivated meat, single-cell proteins, and precision-fermentation dairy proteins. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assesses certain contaminants in novel foods under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, e.g., persistent organic pollutants (POPs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and potentially toxic elements (PTEs). However, comprehensive studies across multiple novel foods and broader range of regulated and emerging contaminants (RECs) are lacking in Europe. As the EU is preparing for the market entry of more novel foods, there is a narrow window of opportunity to ensure food safety. Overall, the current knowledge of RECs in novel foods remains scarce. The 24-month PUREFOOD project aims to promote more equitable and effective regulation of food safety across Europe by screening a broad range of RECs in novel foods that are already approved or expected in the EU. To achieve this goal, PUREFOOD will comprise three research work packages (WPs): WP1 will collect up-to-date data on the import, production, and consumption of novel foods in the EU; WP2 will focus on sampling and analysing both existing and emerging novel foods in the EU, for a broad range of RECs, e.g., brominated flame retardants (BFRs), organophosphate esters (OPEs), plasticisers, currently used pesticides (CUPs), chlorinated paraffins (CPs), PFAS, PTEs, and microplastics (MPs); WP3 will identify factors influencing novel food contamination and evaluate associated human health risks. PUREFOOD will expand my analytical capacity, shape my project management ability, and improve my communication skills. Its results are highly relevant to EFSA and will also benefit the research of the host and secondment groups.