Category Research project
  • Risikokommunikation

Novel foods as red meat replacers - an insight using Risk Benefit Assessment methods (the NovRBA project)

Project status
Completed
Project start
Mar 2019
Project end
Dec 2021
Acronym
NOVRBA
Department
Risikokommunikation
Website
https://www.bfr.bund.de/

Description and Objective

The project aims to develop and test harmonized risk-benefit assessment (RBA) methods to assess the health impact of replacing red meat with an edible insect species (a novel food). Based on a risk-benefit assessment of insects that are more likely to be consumed in Europe, the health impact of consuming a beef patty that is 100% minced beef (reference scenario) will be compared to that of a patty in which the beef is completely replaced by an edible insect patty (alternative scenario). The target population is adults.

Result

The assessment included the selection of dose‐response relationships based on their internal validity (hazard characterisation) and an exposureExposureTo glossary assessment of nutrient intake and exposures to microbiological hazards and compounds of toxicological concern associated with the reference and alternative scenarios. All health outcomes were quantified according to the disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) composite metric. The project standardised the pivotal step of selecting model components through developing a tiered approach to prioritise components establishing the “long”, the “short” and the “final” list. The final list comprised thirteen nutrients, two heat‐resistant spore‐forming bacteria and inorganic arsenic. The RBA model was developed using @Risk® add‐in software using Monte Carlo simulations considering variability and/or uncertainty. Overall the expected change in DALYs when moving from the reference scenario to the alternative one was estimated to be around 8,753 DALYs (per 100,000 population) saved in Greece, 6,572 DALYs in Denmark and 21,972 DALYs in France. This is mainly due to the overall beneficial nutritional and microbiological impacts. The proposed actions to communicate the project’s findings can be summarised in providing understandable scientific evidence to policy makers; creating opportunities for consumers to engage in‐depth with information about insect consumption; making use of multipliers who enjoy a high level of trust and establishing informational exchange with trusted sources.
Type of project

Third-party funded project

Research focus

Internationale Zusammenarbeit

Organisational units and partners

Lead specialist group: Risikosoziologie und Risiko-Nutzen-Beurteilung (22)
Contact persons: Dr. Emilia Böhm
External partner: French National Institute for Agricultural Research, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Funding body and grant number

Europäische Behörde für Lebensmittelsicherheit
GP/EFSAshort forEuropean Food Safety Authority/ENCO/2018/03-GA01

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