Should you wash fruit even if you don't eat the peel?

Would you dare try cricket based hamburgers?

Do you trust the food you eat?

If you would like to learn more about the science behind safe food, welcome to Science on the Menu, a podcast produced by EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority.

What is your first concern regarding food? Does food safety cross your mind when you think about what to eat? For close to half Europeans it is the case, as EFSA social scientist Domagoj Vrbos explains to us. Come and sit at our table in this first episode of “Science on the menu”, in which we will talk you through the insights of the latest Eurobarometer, unveiling EU citizens’ perception about food risks and how those influence what we eat.

If after this episode you are still hungry for information, check out the country factsheets and navigate this dynamic map of food safety concerns across the EU.

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Are you looking forward to the holiday season to savour the finest traditional dishes with your friends and loved ones? The second episode of our podcast “Science on the menu” is the perfect soundtrack.

Valentina Rizzi, Head of EFSA’s Biological Monitoring team, walks us through the risks linked to food contamination and the rules we should follow to make sure the food we prepare and eat is safe. We will also discuss how EFSA deals with foodborne outbreaks in Europe in collaboration with other European institutions, such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

If after this second episode you would like to know more on foodborne outbreaks, visit our dedicated story map and the interactive dashboard. If you are curious about the work of ECDC, listen to their podcast “ECDC: On Air”.

Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

What’s your idea of a tasty snack? Fruit, biscuits, bread and jam perhaps? What would you say if you were offered something more adventurous – fried crickets or grasshoppers? Popular in some countries such as Thailand and Mexico, they are often eaten with chili and lime. In Europe, reactions are mixed! Our expert Ermolaos Ververis explains how EFSA’s novel foods team assesses whether foods such as insects are safe, and he makes us rethink what we know as staple foods in Europe. Come join us for this episode of Science on the Menu, where we even put these questions to the test.

Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.

Animal welfare affects us all. Did you know your health is directly linked to the well-being of animals? Listen in to find out why! Welfare is not only an ethical issue, it's a scientific one. Our scientists at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) are investigating the latest scientific evidence on how animals experience their surroundings. Our expert, Sean Ashe, walks us through EFSA's most recent findings, with special attention to animal transport. Come and join us on this (hopefully enjoyable) journey with Science on the Menu.

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The situation regarding avian influenza continues to evolve in Europe and globally, with new outbreaks reported in birds, occasional infections in mammals and sporadic cases in humans. Join us for this episode of Science on the Menu, in which our expert Francesca Baldinelli explains the state of play.

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Antibiotics are nowadays very important. They protect human and animals from a wide range of infections, but this precious resource is to be used with care. A growing number of bacteria are able to survive or multiply in the presence of antibiotics, some of them widely used to treat common diseases that, only one century ago, could be lethal. Join us for this episode of Science on the Menu, in which our expert Ernesto Liebana discusses the challenge that Antimicrobial Resistance represents and what can be done against it.

EFSA has launched the Traineeship Call for 2023. Applications are open until May 15th!

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Most of us will be familiar with the impact climate change has on the environment – biodiversity loss, rising sea levels, higher temperatures and much more. But it also has direct and indirect effects on the safety of our food and this is something that EFSA has to take into account when assessing risks to human, animal and plant health. Join us as we talk to one of our experts, Angelo Maggiore, about how climate change can act as a driver of emerging risks in the area of food and feed safety.

Your opinion matters! Please take this brief survey to share your thoughts on our podcast.