Building a sound body for European food

In the late 1990s Europe was hit by a succession of scares about food safety. Fear of mad cow disease, previously considered to be largely a British problem, spread to other countries. Other problems soon followed so that consumers were left wondering whether eating fresh mayonnaise would mean a trip to hospital with salmonella food poisoning or dioxin contamination.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was set up by the European Commission in 2002 to restore public confidence in EU food policies, in the wake of food scares which had left citizens mistrustful of the pronouncements of politicians.

Since its launch, the authority has published scientific advice on questions ranging from mad cow disease and salmonella to genetic modification. Most recently it has been involved in recommendations on the risks to humans and animals from avian influenza.

But when it comes to food, Europeans have found something new to worry about since 2002. The fear of obesity is starting to supplant the fear of food poisoning: beefburgers and mayonnaise are mistrusted for different reasons.

Former French civil servant Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle replaced Englishman Geoffrey Podger as head of EFSA in July this year and she is well aware of the challenge.

"EFSA’s original core remit was a safe diet," explains Geslain-Lanéelle. "Now there are new concerns about having a healthy diet."

The shift in emphasis poses fresh problems for the food safety agency, since ‘healthiness’ is often even harder to define scientifically than ‘safety’.

"It is a great challenge," admits Geslain-Lanéelle. "Health is a complex issue."

"In part," she adds, "this is due to the fact that there is a great diversity in diet patterns and different cultural approaches…I don’t think we should be asking people to eat in the same way across Europe; it would not be appropriate."

But EFSA can help member states and the Commission understand the basics of a healthy diet. Science can explain the importance of eating carbohydrates and advise on the "healthy" amount to eat, she said, but "we are not going to say where the carbohydrates should come from".

With this in mind, EFSA is currently developing ‘population reference intakes’, or dietary guidelines, on nutrients including carbohydrates (including sugars), fats, protein and fibre.

The Commission is expected to use the results of EFSA’s work to help draw up nutritional profiles for new European food labelling laws.

Geslain-Lanéelle says EFSA’s advice is unlikely to take the form of strict minimum and maximum recommended daily amounts of salt, sugar and fat. "The Commission and member states will in the end refine and adapt what we say. We are looking for the best way to work with the Commission on this.

"It is a difficult subject and we need to provide the most efficient advice… We can play an important role underpinning measures and regulations at an EU and national level."

In the meantime, to reflect increasing European interest in healthy eating, EFSA plans to increase the number of staff working on nutrition and the amount of research carried out into food and health.

"We currently have about 240 members of staff," says the executive director. "By 2009 it will be closer to 400. We are still able to dedicate more resources to nutrition."

"Now is a crucial period in the development of EFSA," she continues. "We have already done a lot; we are now well established. We have panels and committees in place."

But there is still room for a nutrition panel, according to Geslain-Lanéelle. "We are now well recognised as the reference body for food and feed safety. We want to become the reference body for a healthy diet."

In the late 1990s Europe was hit by a succession of scares about food safety. Fear of mad cow disease, previously considered to be largely a British problem, spread to other countries. Other problems soon followed so that consumers were left wondering whether eating fresh mayonnaise would mean a trip to hospital with salmonella food poisoning or dioxin contamination.