Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40786114›Full record

ArticleEFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority2025

Statement on the use and interpretation of the margin of exposure approach.

EFSA Scientific Committee, Suzanne Hougaard Bennekou, Ana Allende, Angela Bearth, Josep Casacuberta, Laurence Castle, Tamara Coja, Amélie Crépet, Thorhallur Halldorsson, Laurentius Ron Hoogenboom and 17 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Risk Assessment Models for Heated Tobacco Products.Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Relevance and challenges of exposome studies for environmental health research.Environmental health : a global access science source · 2026
    Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Toxicity and Appeal of Flavoured E-Cigarettes and Flavour Ban Outcomes: A Narrative Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026
    Review
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance ziram.EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority · 2026
    Article
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Current research in food science · 2026
    Review
  19. Article
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

27 authors.

EFSA Scientific Committee
Suzanne Hougaard Bennekou
Ana Allende
Angela Bearth
Josep Casacuberta
Laurence Castle
Tamara Coja
Amélie Crépet
Thorhallur Halldorsson
Laurentius Ron Hoogenboom
Helle Knutsen
Claude Lambré
Søren Nielsen
Dominique Turck
Antonio Vicent Civera
Roberto Villa
Pikka Jokelainen
Holger Zorn
Diane Benford
Rex Fitzgerald
Bette Meek
Alicja Mortensen
Salomon Sand
Emanuela Testai
Paola Manini
Alicia Paini
Dieter Schrenk

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The margin of exposure (MOE) is a risk assessment tool used to evaluate the safety of substances in food and feed. Adopted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2005, the MOE is calculated as the ratio between a Reference Point (RP) and the estimated exposure. While some regulatory bodies use 'margin of safety' (MOS) interchangeably with MOE, others define it differently, leading to inconsistencies in interpretation. To address this, EFSA has standardised its terminology, establishing MOE as a primary metric for safety assessments across human and animal health evaluations. In addition, the meaning and interpretation of terms used to qualify a 'concern' is elaborated. The EFSA definitions will come into force from when this statement is published. By refining these definitions and ensuring consistent terminology across sectors, EFSA aims to improve clarity and transparency in its risk assessments, facilitating effective communication.

Indexed as

benchmarkrisk assessmentrisk managementtoxicology

Identifiers

PMID40786114
PMCPMC12332500

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.