Safety assessment of botanicals and botanical preparations used as ingredients in food supplements: Testing an EFS tired approach

This article describes results obtained by testing the European Food Safety Authority-tiered guidance approach for safety assessment of botanicals and botanical preparations intended for use in food supplements. Main conclusions emerging are as follows. (i) Botanical ingredients must be identified by their scientific (binomial) name, in most cases down to the subspecies level or lower. (ii) Adequate characterization and description of the botanical parts and preparation methodology used is needed. Safety of a botanical ingredient cannot be assumed only relying on the long-term safe use of other preparations of the same botanical. (iii) Because of possible adulterations, misclassifications, replacements or falsifications, and restorations, establishment of adequate quality control is necessary. (iv) The strength of the evidence underlying concerns over a botanical ingredient should be included in the safety assessment. (v) The matrix effect should be taken into account in the safety assessment on a case-by-case basis. (vi) Adequate data and methods for appropriate exposure assessment are often missing. (vii) Safety regulations concerning toxic contaminants have to be complied with. The application of the guidance approach can result in the conclusion that safety can be presumed, that the botanical ingredient is of safety concern, or that further data are needed to assess safety

Brief report: the influence of dissociative experiences and alcohol/drugs dependence on Internet addiction

The main aim of this study is to investigate the influence of dissociative experiences and alcohol/drugs dependence on Internet addiction. From a clinical point of view Internet addiction, an excessive or poorly controlled preoccupation, urges, and/or behaviors regarding Internet use, lead to emotional and social problems in several life domains. Moreover, the increased prevalence of Internet addiction among adolescents and young adults is cause of concerns. Data was collected on 441 undergraduate students (285 female), aging from 18 to 36, using an assessment self-reporting set consisting of the Young’s Internet Addiction Test, the Leeds Dependence Questionnaire and the Dissociative Experience Scale. Results converging for the three psychological phenomena involved are interrelated, corroborating the hypothesis of the search for an altered state of consciousness as their common underlying mechanism. Findings show that the tendency to escape from reality, through dissociation and substance abuse, are risk factors for Internet addiction in youngsters. The implications of these results are discussed in a preventive and clinical perspective

Pest categorisation of Apiosporina morbosa

The Panelon Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the fungus Apiosporinamorbosa, the causal agent of black knot, for the EU. The identity of the pest is well established and reliable methods exist for its detection/identification. The pest is listed in Annex IIAI of Directive 2000/29/EC and is not known to occur in the EU. Apiosporinamorbosa is present in Alaska, Canada, Mexico and the continental states of the USA. The major hosts of A.morbosa are Prunusdomestica and Prunuscerasus; the host status of other Prunus species and hybrids is uncertain because of contradictory reports or lack of information. The pest could potentially enter the EU on host plants for planting and plant parts originating in infested third countries. Wood of Prunus spp. is also a pathway of entry, but of minor importance. The current pest distribution and climate matching suggest that the pest could establish and spread in the EU wherever the hosts are grown. In the infested areas, the pest causes girdling of twigs and occasionally of larger branches, whereas trees with multiple infections loose vigour, bloom poorly, and become unproductive, stunted and susceptible to winter injury and infection by other pathogens. The presence of black knots makes trees unsuitable for timber production. It is expected that the pest introduction and spread in the EU would impact host production. Uncertainty exists on whether the agricultural practices and chemical control methods applied in the EU could prevent the establishment and spread of A.morbosa. A.morbosa meets all the criteria assessed by EFSA for consideration as potential Union quarantine pest. As the pest is not known to occur in the EU, this criterion to consider it as Union regulated non-quarantine pest is not met. (C) 2018 European Food Safety Authority. EFSA Journal published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of European Food Safety Authority

Pest categorisation of Stagonosporopsis\ua0andigena

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of Stagonosporopsis andigena, the causal agent of black blight of potato, for the EU. The pest is a well-defined fungal species and reliable methods exist for its detection and identification. S. andigena is present in Bolivia and Peru. The pest is not known to occur in the EU and is listed in Annex IAI of Directive 2000/29/EC as Phoma andina, meaning its introduction into the EU is prohibited. The major cultivated host is Solanum tuberosum (potato); other tuber-forming Solanum species and wild solanaceous plants are also affected. All hosts and pathways of entry of the pest into the EU are currently regulated. Host availability and climate matching suggest that S. andigena could establish in parts of the EU and further spread mainly by human-assisted means. The pest affects leaves, stems and petioles of potato plants causing lesions and premature leaf drop but not the underground parts, including tubers. The disease causes yield reductions up to 80%, depending on the susceptibility of potato cultivars. Early application of fungicide sprays and cultivation of resistant potato cultivars are the most effective measures for disease management. The pest introduction in the EU would potentially cause impacts to potato production. The main uncertainties concern the host range, the maximum period the pest survives on host debris in soil, the maximum distance over which conidia of the pest could be dispersed by wind-blown rain, and the magnitude of potential impacts to the EU. S. andigena meets all the criteria assessed by EFSA for consideration as potential Union quarantine pest. The criteria for considering S. andigena as a potential Union regulated non-quarantine pest are not met, since the pest is not known to occur in the EU. (C) 2018 European Food Safety Authority. EFSA Journal published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of European Food Safety Authority

Pest categorisation of Thecaphora\ua0solani

The Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of the fungus Thecaphora solani, the causal agent of smut of potato, for the EU. The identity of the pest is well established and reliable methods exist for its detection and identification. T solani is present in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. The pathogen is not known to occur in the EU and is listed in Annex IAI of Directive 2000/29/EC, meaning its introduction into the EU is prohibited. The major host is Solanum tuberosum (potato), but various other tuber-forming Solanum species are also affected. The pest has also been reported on Solanum lycopersicum (tomato), and wild solanaceous plants are also affected. All the major hosts and pathways of entry are currently regulated. Host availability and climate matching suggest that T solani could establish in parts of the EU and further spread by human-assisted means. The disease induces gall formation on potato tubers, stolons and underground stem parts, reducing yield and making tubers unmarketable. The pest introduction in the EU would potentially cause impacts to potato production. In the infested areas, the only available strategy to control the disease and prevent it from spreading is the application of quarantine and sanitation measures and the cultivation of resistant varieties. The main uncertainties concern the host range, the biology and epidemiology of the pest, and the potential of the pest to enter the EU through three unregulated minor pathways. T solani meets all the criteria assessed by EFSA for consideration as potential Union quarantine pest. The criteria for considering T solani as a potential Union regulated non-quarantine pest are not met, since the pest is not known to occur in the EU. (C) 2018 European Food Safety Authority. EFSA Journal published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of European Food Safety Authority