Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, EFSA's executive director, gave details of the risk assessor's current work before the EU Parliament's committee on the environment, public health and food safety.

EFSA is a risk assessment agency for the bloc, providing scientific advice on food safety that provides the basis for decisions at the Commission and parliamentary levels.

EFSA's work is increasing at a rapid pace, as more tasks are assigned to it, Geslain-Lanéelle said.

Examining risk assessment methodologies for nanoparticles used in foodstuffs, and the animal welfare and safety aspects of foodstuffs derived from cloned animals, are part of the ongoing work.

EFSA's workload is increasing year on year while in parallel, the complexity and often the urgency of questions rises, she told committee members on 9 October in Brussels.

"As I look to the future we will face new challenges due to innovative technologies, international trade, climate change, increasingly sensitive detection methods and new emerging risks," she stated.

The organisation is also in the midst of assessing the risks of pesticide residues in foods, and all of the additive ingredients used in the EU.

Up to now EFSA has completed a total of 55 peer-reviews of pesticides, and is working on a lot more, Geslain-Lanéelle said.

EFSA is also looking at proposed temporary EU maximum residue levels for pesticides in foods, in the interim.