Food and nutrition

Liquorice is used as an ingredient in certain food supplements and as a flavouring in beverages and foods. Following numerous reports of adverse effects, some of them severe, ANSES assessed the risks associated with the consumption of products containing liquorice. Its expert appraisal shows that repeated high consumption of beverages and foods containing liquorice can lead to hypokalaemia (a drop in blood potassium levels) and high blood pressure, thereby increasing cardiovascular risk. Some people are particularly sensitive: pregnant or breastfeeding women, children, people with cardiovascular problems (such as hypertension), or kidney or liver problems. ANSES recommends that food labels indicate the presence of liquorice or its main active ingredient, glycyrrhizinic acid, even in small quantities.

Some forms of arsenic are toxic and even carcinogenic. ANSES’s Laboratory for Food Safety has developed an innovative method that will enable their concentration in different foods to be more accurately measured. This breakthrough will enhance the assessment of consumer exposure and health risks.

Scientists at ANSES’s Laboratory for Food Safety have reviewed the reference temperature used to calculate the use-by dates of ready-to-eat refrigerated foods. This temperature takes account of those actually observed in domestic refrigerators in 16 European countries. It was defined to prevent foodborne infections caused by pathogenic bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes .

The isoflavones naturally found in certain plants can have harmful effects on health, particularly on the reproductive system, if consumed in excessive amounts. As soy is the main source of isoflavones, ANSES is recommending that soy-based foods not be served in mass catering establishments to avoid over-consumption. It is also calling on the agri-food sector to review soy production and processing techniques, in order to reduce isoflavone levels in foods.

ANSES is publishing two expert appraisals on vegetarian diets. In the first, it studied the health benefits and risks associated with these diets. To do this, it carried out a systematic review of the available epidemiological studies. In the second, it proposed specific dietary guidelines for people who are on or are considering adopting a vegetarian diet. The aim is to help them optimise their nutritional intake while taking account of their eating habits and limiting their exposure to contaminants.

Since late 2024, ANSES has been taking part in six new European projects, two of which it is coordinating. These projects, funded by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as part of its "tailor-made" activities, are seeking to improve knowledge and the use of data on risks associated mainly with food. They will explore issues such as the risks associated with botulism, according to a One Health approach, and the use of artificial intelligence to analyse data in the field of food safety.

Although it is banned in medicines, the Garcinia cambogia Desr. plant continues to be offered in food supplements. Consuming them can have severe adverse effects, in particular acute hepatitis, including in people with no previous history of medical problems. An overall analysis of these signals has led ANSES to issue an alert strongly advising against the consumption of food supplements containing this plant.

‘Ultra-processed’ foods are part of the food supply, but they also raise some health concerns. That being said, the concept of ultra-processing has yet to be scientifically substantiated. In light of this, ANSES has reviewed the available studies on the subject. Its expert appraisal identified several signals suggesting a relationship between the consumption of such foods and a higher risk of developing chronic diseases. Now, the challenge is to identify the mechanisms that underlie these risks. Among the avenues to be explored, the Agency recommends focusing on the effects of new substances that can form during food processing. It also stresses that other courses of action should be considered to improve nutrition in the population.

The ANSES Fougères Laboratory coordinated the Protox project, which aimed to propose a strategy for determining protein toxicity using new approach methodologies (NAMs). Whether through food or our environment, we can be exposed to novel proteins whose health risks need to be assessed while minimising animal testing. Kevin Hogeveen, a toxicologist at the Fougères Laboratory and project coordinator, explains.

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are congenital malformations that can have very serious consequences for the development of a newborn’s brain and spinal cord. To improve the prevention of these defects, ANSES recommends fortifying wheat flour with folic acid, the synthetic form of vitamin B9, in addition to vitamin B9 supplementation for women planning a pregnancy. This measure would compensate for the inadequate vitamin B9 intake of these women, which is one of the main risk factors for NTDs in unborn children. The Agency’s expert appraisal on the prevention of NTDs included an initial socio-economic analysis of various options for action and recommended a stakeholder consultation, with a public health objective of scaling up prevention.

ANSES has carried out two specific expert appraisals on breast milk, to follow on from its study on dietary exposure of non-breastfed children under three years of age to chemical contaminants. The results show the importance of reducing exposure to chemical contaminants that accumulate in the environment and the body throughout life, and can then be found in breast milk. At the same time, ANSES confirms the beneficial effects of consuming breast milk, which may reduce the risk of overweight or certain diseases in children.