EFSA

European Food Safety Authority

EFSA was established in 2002 as the central authority for the scientific evaluation of food and feed safety in the EU. As of 2005, EFSA is permanently based in Parma, Italy.

EFSA was established based on the legal mandate of regulation (EG) 178/2002 of the European Parliament and European Council addressing basic principles of food law. New food law legislation and hence EFSA were created in response to a number of food scandals that shook consumer confidence. EFSA addresses two main areas: 

• Scientific risk evaluation for all questions related to food and feed safety

• Informing the public; potential risks

To assist with safety evaluations, EFSA is supported by eight scientific panels composed of independent researchers from various EU Member States. The GMO Panel is responsible for GMOs and genetically modiefied food and feed.

EFSA offers a solid scientific basis for making informed political decisions. The decisions themselves, however, are the responsibility of political bodies such as the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council of Minsters. EFSA cooperates closely with national authorities of all Member States.