The move, which will likely result in hundreds of microorganisms being referred to EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) for safety evaluation, has been expected.
A wide variety of micro organisms have been safely used for years to produce fermented food and feed, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae for brewing beer, Lactococcus lactis for making cheese and Lactobacillus bulgaricus for yoghurt.
More recently, microorganisms are also used in the production of enzymes and additives for food and feed.
Whilst some bacteria and fungal species have a long history of apparent safe use, others are less well understood and might represent a possible risk for consumers.
This, then, is where EFSA steps in.
In essence, a safety assessment would be made for a selected group of microorganisms independently of any particular pre-market authorisation process. If the group does not raise safety concerns or if any potential safety concerns can be defined and excluded, the group will be granted QPS status.
Thereafter, a strain of microorganism whose identity can be unambiguously established and assigned to a group with QPS status would be exempted from the need for additional safety assessment.
EFSA said that the application of QPS as a safety assessment tool will provide a harmonised and consistent approach for the evaluation of micro organisms by EFSAs scientific panels without compromising on safety and allowing new safety concerns (e.g. antibiotic resistance) to be addressed.
QPS also provides a means for setting priorities in the risk assessment of microorganisms, thereby allowing EFSA to focus resources on those presenting the greatest risks or uncertainties.
EFSA announced it would also launch a public consultation in order to seek public comments on the use of QPS and its appropriateness for the EFSA scientific panels as a safety assessment tool for micro organisms added to food and feed, designed to maintain the same high standards as a case-by case approach whilst reducing unnecessary testing, in particular those using animals.
The scientific committee stressed that the body of knowledge about the organisms for which QPS could be applied must be sufficient to give adequate assurance that any potential to produce adverse effects are understood and predictable.
EFSAs Scientific Committee has identified those micro organisms for which QPS could be applied based on an established history of safe use or a substantial existing body of knowledge. Comments on the evidence used to support the propositions for or against QPS status are most welcome, said the authority.
Interested parties are invited to submit comments to EFSA by means of the dedicated email address qps@efsa.europa.eu before 5 March 2007.