powrót do Aktualności
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched a tender for methodological support services related to the preparation of scientific literature reviews used in food safety assessments. The contract has an estimated value of EUR 2 million, will run for 48 months, and the deadline for submitting tenders is 24 August 2026.
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This is another indication that systematic literature reviews are becoming one of the key tools used by EFSA in the preparation of scientific opinions and risk assessments.
EFSA is seeking contractors to support the Authority in preparing scientific reviews in accordance with evidence-based science principles. The scope of the contract includes, among other things:
• systematic reviews,
• scoping reviews,
• narrative reviews,
• quality appraisal of existing scientific reviews,
• methodological support in assessing scientific evidence used by EFSA Panels.
In practice, this involves preparing comprehensive analyses of the available scientific literature concerning the safety of food ingredients, food additives, novel foods, botanical substances, contaminants and many other areas falling within EFSA’s remit.
The tender does not concern the delivery of a single project. EFSA plans to conclude a framework contract with up to six contractors, who will be able to compete for individual assignments over the following four years. This approach will allow the Authority to draw on specialised scientific teams depending on the subject matter of a particular risk assessment.
Increasing importance is being placed not only on the scientific data themselves, but also on the transparent and reproducible methodology used to identify, select and assess the quality of scientific evidence. For universities, research institutes, specialised consultancy firms and scientific consortia, this is a clear indication that expertise in conducting systematic literature reviews is becoming an increasingly important competence for cooperation with EFSA. From the perspective of food businesses, another aspect is particularly relevant. An increasing number of regulatory decisions – including those concerning novel foods, food additives, botanical substances and the safety assessment of food ingredients – will rely on analyses conducted in accordance with rigorous evidence-based science standards. This means that the quality, robustness and completeness of the available scientific evidence will play an increasingly important role in regulatory procedures before EFSA and the European Commission.
