European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has expanded its food consumption database with a new set of data collected under the EU Menu project. It is said to play an important role in the valuation of the risks related to possible hazards in food, allowing estimates of consumers’ exposure to such hazards.
The EU Menu project aims to pull together high-quality, coordinated data from all member states, with data ranging from all age groups from 3 months to 74 years. By standardising the data collection methods, the information will be easier to compare and will improve the quality of the risk assessments carried out by EFSA that rely on dietary information.
EFSA has provided financial support and guidance on data collection to 21 countries under the EU Menu umbrella, since 2011. To date, 17 surveys have been completed by 11 countries, with more planned for the future.
Find out more about the food consumption database: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/new-surveys-boost-food-consumption-database