Tarameal as a cause of disease and the relevance of Bacillus cytotoxicus as a foodborne pathogen are examples of emerging chemical risks recently discussed in Europe.
It is thought that baikiain in tara flour was responsible for approximately 470 diseases reported in the US as of June 2022. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has declared that tara flour in human food does not meet the General Recognized As Safe (GRAS) standard and is an unapproved food additive.
The flour was sourced from Daily Harvest French Lentil + Leek Crumbles and Revive Superfoods’ Mango & Pineapple Smoothies. Smirk’s sources tara flour from Molinos Asociados in Peru.
EU experts said that while more information is needed, the available evidence points to an emerging risk. The finding is: part of a report which provides an overview of the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) activities on emerging chemicals over the period 2020-2023.
Bacillus cytotoxica have been found in potato flakes and potato starch and also in insect-based foods. It is part of the Bacillus cereus group. Some members of this group can cause two forms of foodborne illness, such as diarrhea syndrome, which is associated with three enterotoxins, and vomiting syndrome, which is caused by cereulide toxin.
Examples of emerging risks and projects
Member States and stakeholders in the EFSA emerging risk networks, such as the Emerging Risks Exchange Network (EREN) and the Stakeholder Discussion Group on Emerging Risks, have identified and analyzed several chemical issues according to the EFSA definition of emerging risks and characterization criteria.
These networks discussed a range of issues between 2020 and 2023, including brevetoxins in French shellfish, alcohol replacement drinks and a synthetic compound called albarello, and the reduced use of pesticides and fertilizers, which led to an increase in jimsonweed (Datura stramonium), which contains a tropane alkaloid.
Experts said more information was needed to characterize different topics. Examples include hypoglycin A in cow’s milk, imported Asian morels, a link between the contamination of sesame seeds with Salmonella and EU regulations on ethylene oxide, and possible allergies in insect products.
Several projects have also been carried out to identify emerging chemical problems using a range of methodologies and tools, such as text and data mining or foresight and chemical analysis.
These include the EuroCigua projects on Ciguatoxins, Climate Change and Emerging Risks to Food Safety (CLEFSA), and a project on food and feed safety vulnerabilities in the circular economy.
Opportunities and threats
Emerging chemical risks can arise from intentional or unintentional contamination of the food chain, either by humans or natural chemicals. They can also result from changes in the composition of food products or environmental matrices.
“Identifying emerging chemicals is challenging due to the scant existing information on the hazard they pose and their occurrence in food, feed and environmental compartments. Furthermore, detection and quantification methods have not been developed for most of these cases,” the report said.
Examples of factors include population growth, globalization, resource and energy scarcity, slowing agricultural productivity, price volatility, changing food trends and waste crisis.
Ongoing policy developments are related to establishing an early warning system for emerging chemicals.
The report listed a number of opportunities, such as improving the use of big data and machine learning to identify emerging chemicals, increasing horizon scanning capacity through collaboration with a broader audience, and optimizing the exchange of information on emerging chemicals.
Identified threats included the increasing complexity of food supply chains and a lack of trust between stakeholders regarding data sharing.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)