Open AccessUpdate of the list of QPS ‐recommended biological agents intentionally added to food or feed as notified to EFSA 14: suitability of taxonomic units notified to EFSA until March 2021
Author(s) -
Koutsoumanis Kostas,
Allende Ana,
AlvarezOrdóñez Avelino,
Bolton Declan,
BoverCid Sara,
Chemaly Marianne,
Davies Robert,
De Cesare Alessandra,
Hilbert Friederike,
Lindqvist Roland,
Nauta Maarten,
Peixe Luisa,
Ru Giuseppe,
Simmons Marion,
Skandamis Panagiotis,
Suffredini Elisabetta,
Cocconcelli Pier Sandro,
Fernández Escámez Pablo Salvador,
PrietoMaradona Miguel,
Querol Amparo,
Sijtsma Lolke,
Suarez Juan Evaristo,
Sundh Ingvar,
Vlak Just,
Barizzone Fulvio,
Hempen Michaela,
Herman Lieve
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
efsa journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.076
H-Index - 97
ISSN - 1831-4732
DOI - 10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6689
Subject(s) - food safety , biology , enterococcus faecium , microbiology and biotechnology , food science , antibiotics
The qualified presumption of safety ( QPS ) approach was developed to provide a regularly updated generic pre‐evaluation of the safety of biological agents, intended for addition to food or feed, to support the work of EFSA 's Scientific Panels. The QPS approach is based on an assessment of published data for each agent, with respect to its taxonomic identity, the body of relevant knowledge, safety concerns and occurrence of antimicrobial resistance. Safety concerns identified for a taxonomic unit ( TU ) are, where possible, confirmed at the species/strain or product level and reflected by ‘qualifications’. In the period covered by this statement, no new information was found that would change the status of previously recommended QPS TU s. Schizochytrium limacinum , which is a synonym for Aurantiochytrium limacinum , was added to the QPS list. Of the 78 microorganisms notified to EFSA between October 2020 and March 2021, 71 were excluded; 16 filamentous fungi, 1 Dyella spp., 1 Enterococcus faecium , 7 Escherichia coli , 1 Streptomyces spp., 1 Schizochytrium spp. and 44 TU s that had been previously evaluated. Seven TU s were evaluated: Corynebacterium stationis and Kodamaea ohmeri were re‐assessed because an update was requested for the current mandate. Anoxybacillus caldiproteolyticus , Bacillus paralicheniformis , Enterobacter hormaechei, Eremothecium ashbyi and Lactococcus garvieae were assessed for the first time. The following TU s were not recommended for QPS status: A. caldiproteolyticus due to the lack of a body of knowledge in relation to its use in the food or feed chain, E. hormaechei, L. garvieae and K. ohmeri due to their pathogenic potential , E. ashbyi and C. stationis due to a lack of body of knowledge on their occurrence in the food and feed chain and to their pathogenic potential. B. paralicheniformis was recommended for the QPS status with the qualification ‘absence of toxigenic activity’ and ‘absence of genetic information to synthesize bacitracin’.