NIA has provided its comments to the European Food Safety Authority consultation on their Draft Guidance on risk assessment of the application of nanoscience and nanotechnologies in the food and feed chain: Part 1, human and animal health. EFSA has had a public consulation on this Draft Guidance which close on Sunday 4 March 2018.
NIA view the Draft Guidance to be very comprehensive from a scientific point of view and we welcome the tiered approach and screening possibilities outlined. NIA also provide several specific comments. NIA is urging a common definition to be applied, and favours the EC recommendation (currently under revision).
NIA points out that the currently broad interpretation of EFSA of materials that would fall under the Draft Guidance provides a large uncertainty for applicants when and how they should apply this Draft Guidance to their products.
We would also like to point out, that the guidance would in most instances, and in general, be equally applicable to any substance in the food/feed area, and many of its considerations would not be nanospecific.
The full subitted NIA Comments are available here.
