Background:
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will soon be receiving European Commission mandates to evaluate the safety of other substances in accordance with Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006. The “candidates” for safety evaluations include individual substances (such as melatonin and tryptophan), plant compounds (e.g. curcumin, piperin and coumarin) and plants (including Ashwagandha, Cimicifuga, Hypericum and Maca). EFSA evaluations of hydroxycitric acid (rel. to Schisandra and Hibiscus), berberine and fennel fruits (estragole and other compounds) are currently in progress and are expected by May 2025.
Strategic evaluation
As far as developers, producers and distributors of food supplements and enriched foodstuffs, as well as herbal teas and spices, are concerned, quality requirements are being tightened up considerably as a result of the escalation of safety requirements based on Article 8 procedures. Compliance with these requirements can only be assured by using valid analytical procedures to determine the content of safety-relevant constituents, with particular focus on herbal ingredients. Foresightful consideration of the current state of scientific
