Foodstuffs may contain undesirable substances that could constitute health risks. Up-to-date data are required in order that these risks can be better assessed and avoided.
There are many sources of undesirable substances in foodstuffs. They may be, for example, residues of plant protection products or of veterinary medicinal products. They may be impurities (contaminants) that inadvertently reached the foodstuff during harvesting, storage or production. Or they are only formed during the preparation. Finally, natural substances also exist in plants which are undesirable in foodstuffs.
The toxicological characterisation of these substances and the determination of human exposure to them form the basis for a comprehensive risk assessment. Consequently, the FSVO investigates the occurrence of such substances in foodstuffs by means of well-defined monitoring and research projects. In this way the relevant risks to consumers in Switzerland can be identified and reduced when necessary. The research also encompasses continued developments in the methods and concepts relating to safety assessments for foodstuffs.
A selection of current FSVO projects is shown below:
Ongoing projects:
Last modification 20.05.2022
