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ANSES entrusts Brice Laurent with the creation of a department dedicated to human and social sciences expertise and openness to society Published on 23/06/2022

ANSES's scientific expertise regularly focuses on topics that are key issues for society involving different types of uncertainty – scientific, social, economic, and political. To better take these into account in its risk assessments, ANSES draws on human and social sciences in its expert appraisal and research work. It creates forums for interaction with its various stakeholders, for example in the form of dialogue committees and thematic steering committees.

In order to develop and strengthen its activities in this area, the Agency has entrusted Brice Laurent with the creation of a dedicated department. A sociology researcher and teacher specialising...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 22/06/2022 To limit environmental exposure to antibiotics in veterinary medicine treatments

Its aim is to raise awareness among practitioners of the levers of action in the use of veterinary antibiotics in order to limit their impact on the environment. The various sources of contamination of the environment by antibiotics used in veterinary medicine have been...

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Published on 21/06/2022 End of the Innotub project on bovine tuberculosis

Bovine tuberculosis is a zoonotic disease. It is responsible for significant economic losses on farms and can constitute an occupational risk for farmers, veterinarians, slaughterhouse employees and hunters. It primarily affects cattle, as well as goats in Spain.The disease is...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 21/06/2022 Storage of veterinary medicines and recommendations during heatwaves

Veterinary medicine quality is vital and must be ensured throughout the pharmaceutical chain, from design until use. Each participant in the chain has an influence on one or more parameters and needs to take precautions to guarantee and maintain veterinary medicine quality....

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Environmental health
Published on 21/06/2022 Improving air quality in underground railway areas

Higher particulate matter concentrations in railway areas than outdoorsFrance's underground railway networks are spread out over seven large urban areas (Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Toulouse, Rennes and Rouen). The Ile-de-France network is by far the largest in France and one...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 20/06/2022 What is the risk of monkeypox spreading to pets?

The animal species at greatest risk of contamination by humansThe monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a zoonosis endemic to West and Central Africa, where the virus has been detected in various species of wild animals without any formal identification of the reservoir.In the available...

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Plant health
Published on 20/06/2022 Plant protection: spotting the Japanese beetle's arrival in France as early as possible

The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) has now spread and become established outside its native Japan, initially in the USA and then in Europe. It was first spotted in Italy in 2014, and then in Switzerland in 2017. ANSES conducted an expert appraisal to assess the probability...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 03/06/2022 Colistin combined with nanoparticles: a smaller amount of antibiotic for the same level of efficacy

Colistin is an antibiotic commonly used to treat diseases caused by the Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacterium, such as colibacillosis in piglets. This disease, which frequently develops after weaning, causes diarrhoea. The problem is that using high levels of colistin can result...

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Environmental health
Published on 01/06/2022 Aiming for weather maps of ticks in metropolitan France

Mapping areas favourable to the presence of ticksIn France, the Ixodes ricinus tick species is present across most of the country and is the main vector of pathogens responsible for various diseases such as Lyme disease. The activity and life cycle of the ticks depend on several...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 23/05/2022 Tracing the source of infections by the bacterium responsible for bovine tuberculosis

Although France has been officially free of bovine tuberculosis since 2001 (less than 0.1% of cattle herds are infected with the disease), cases are regularly reported, mainly in the South West. Infections can lead to the slaughtering of all the animals on a farm in order to...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 20/05/2022 Overview of the European conference on the use of plants in veterinary medicine

The conference was organised in several sessions. In the first session, the context of the use of plants in veterinary medicine in the European Union was presented and the various stakeholders (farmers, veterinarians and pharmaceutical industries) were able to share their...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 19/05/2022 Birth control pills for female cats and dogs must be prescribed by a veterinarian

Contraceptive pills for female cats and dogs that contain megestrol acetate or medroxyprogesterone acetate (see table below) are effective, provided that users comply with the conditions for their use, particularly the timing during the sexual cycle and the frequency of...

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Published on 18/05/2022 Bérénice Renard appointed as ANSES's Ethics Officer

The mission of ANSES's Ethics Officer is to ensure compliance with the Agency's obligations to prevent conflicts of interest and strengthen its ethical framework, in accordance with the provisions of the French Act of 26 January 2016 on the modernisation of the health system.As...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 16/05/2022 Equine health at the heart of a new joint technology unit

The SABOT UMT (its name comes from the French for Equine health and welfare – sector organisation and traceability) aims to improve knowledge of certain health risks and diseases affecting the equine sector. Set up in early 2022 for a period of five years, it will be organised...

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Published on 12/05/2022 Informal meeting of the Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP — CMDv)

This meeting will allow committee members to exchange on dossiers related to the registration and evaluation of veterinary medicinal products in the European Union.

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 12/05/2022 PFUE — European Conference on the Use of Plants in Veterinary Medicine

The conference took place in several parts. The first session made it possible to contextualise the use of plants in veterinary medicine in the European Union and allowed the various stakeholders (farmers, veterinarians and pharmaceutical industries) to share their expectations...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 12/05/2022 Meeting of Heads of Agency (HMA) from 4 to 6 May 2022

The French agency for veterinary medicinal products (Anses-ANMV) organised with Ansm (French agency for human medicines) the second meeting of Heads of Agency (HMA) from 4 to 6 May. The meeting was held at the Palais du Grand Large in Saint Malo with 90 participants from the...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 12/05/2022 ANSES supports the Université Côte d'Azur in promoting physical activity for health – 31 August to 2 September 2022

In partnership with ANSES, the Université Côte d'Azur is pleased to invite you to the 17th annual meeting and 11th conference of HEPA Europe.  The conference is organised jointly with WHO/Europe, in partnership with the City of Nice and the French Public Health Society (SFSP)....

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Environmental health
Published on 11/05/2022 Launch of the European research and innovation PARC programme to improve chemical risk assessment

Launched today under the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, PARC aims to bring together a broad community of research establishments and health agencies to advance research, share knowledge and improve skills in chemical risk assessment. The results of this...

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Environmental health
Published on 06/05/2022 PestiRiv study: focus on the second survey period designed to improve knowledge of exposure to pesticides in wine-growing areas

What does PestiRiv involve?As a reminder, the objective of the PestiRiv study is to better understand and shed light on pesticide exposure of people living in wine-growing areas.Why grapevines? In France, these are among the crops most commonly treated with plant protection...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 04/05/2022 A new process for monitoring adverse reactions to veterinary medicines

What does the new EU Regulation change in terms of pharmacovigilance?Holders of marketing authorisations (MAs) for veterinary medicinal products were previously required to provide the European Medicines Agency and Member States with a risk-benefit assessment of their medicinal...

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Environmental health
Published on 03/05/2022 Beware of ticks in forests or gardens

Some tick species can transmit viruses, bacteria or parasites to animals and humans. In France, the main human disease associated with ticks is Lyme disease. In the event of infection, a characteristic red "bull's eye" appears on the skin a few days after the bite, usually...

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Environmental health
Published on 28/04/2022 TIQUoJARDIN is looking for volunteers to collect ticks from the gardens around Nancy

According to data from the CiTIQUE programme, more than a quarter of tick bites occur in private gardens. However, little is known about the factors that influence the presence of ticks in these places, or whether this poses a risk to human health, given that ticks can transmit...

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Environmental health
Published on 20/04/2022 What can science tell us about the exposome?

What does the concept of the exposome contribute to the understanding of chronic diseases?Pr Robert Barouki, Professor at Paris University, Research Unit Director at INSERM, and chair of the ANSES Working Group on the ExposomeIf we take the example of cancer, the genetic causes...

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Published on 14/04/2022 Recognising the carcinogenic nature of work involving exposure to welding fumes

Many workers are exposedAccording to the 2017 SUMER survey conducted by the Ministry of Labour, 528,000, that is 2.1% of all French employees, are exposed to welding fumes containing metallic elements. Welders are not the only workers affected. Many other workers may be exposed...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 08/04/2022 Raw-milk cheeses: What are the associated health risks and what preventive measures can be taken?

ANSES received a request from the Directorate General for Food to identify and classify the main bacterial hazards associated with the various types of raw-milk cheeses and other dairy products made from raw milk. The aim was also to assess the main sources of contamination and...

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Plant health
Published on 21/03/2022 Understanding the increase in damage caused by a fungus in the Landes forest

Over the last three years, Cronartium pini has affected nearly 800 hectares of forest in the south of the Landes départment. When maritime pines are contaminated by the fungus, it prevents their sap from circulating, killing the trees, especially in young plantations. The...

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Plant health
Published on 18/03/2022 What effect do herbicide-tolerant varieties have on plant biodiversity?

 Herbicide-tolerant varieties (HTVs) are crop varieties that have been bred to be intentionally tolerant to herbicides. Their use may have consequences on the diversity of weed flora, i.e. the wild plants found among crops and targeted by herbicide treatments, but also on any...

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Environmental health
Published on 09/03/2022 Chemicals in textiles and footwear: a proposal for regulations that offer more protection

Our clothing and shoes contain dozens, even hundreds of chemicals. Some chemicals, such as dyes, are used intentionally at the time of manufacture. Others are residues or impurities occurring at varying concentrations. The current European regulations cover 12 chemicals and...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 07/03/2022 Three new databases for greater transparency on veterinary medicinal products in Europe

The European Union's product databaseThe Union Product Database holds information on all the veterinary medicinal products authorised in the European Union by the European Commission and the competent authorities of the Member States. For each one, it provides access to the...

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Food and nutrition, Environmental health
Published on 05/03/2022 Beware of confusion between autumn crocus and wild garlic

Serious or even fatal poisoningEach year, the network of French poison control centres records about 250 cases of poisonous plants being mistaken for edible plants.Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale) is most often confused with wild garlic (Allium ursinum), and more rarely with...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 04/03/2022 Human hormonal treatments: be careful not to expose your pets

Adverse effects occurring in small dogs, cats, puppies and kittens have been reported in several European countries following repeated contact with hormone replacement therapy applied to their owner's skin. Most of these cases, affecting both females and males, have involved...

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Environmental health
Published on 04/03/2022 CiTIQUE programme wins an award for participatory research

On 4 March, the Participatory Research Award, Crowdsourcing category, was presented to the CiTIQUE programme. This prize was launched by INRAE in 2021, on the initiative of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, to showcase research projects involving both...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 02/03/2022 The fight against Campylobacter begins on the farm

The Campylobacter bacterium is the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans in Europe and can sometimes lead to severe complications. It can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with animals, especially poultry, or indirectly through food. It therefore...

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Environmental health
Published on 01/03/2022 ANSES and ACTA renew their partnership

ANSES and ACTA have been working together for several years now to anticipate and respond to health issues affecting the crop and livestock sectors. With their renewed partnership, the two organisations are fostering a closer relationship by reinforcing the sharing of data and...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 28/02/2022 Using artificial intelligence to improve food safety: ANSES and the CNAM create Metabiot, a dedicated research unit

The creation of the “Metabiot: Use of massive data to improve food safety” contracted unit (USC) was made official on 28 February 2022 at the Paris International Agricultural Show, when the agreement to that end was signed by Olivier Faron, General Administrator of the CNAM, and...

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Published on 22/02/2022 ANSES portraits: women in science

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 18/02/2022 ANSES portrait - “Covering all aspects of the health risks associated with food”- Corinne Danan

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Food and nutrition
Published on 18/02/2022 How to reduce mercury exposure from fish consumption - Portrait of PhD student Mariana Mendes Ribeiro

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Environmental health
Published on 18/02/2022 Women at ANSES - "Collaborative work is crucial for monitoring tick-borne diseases"

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Published on 18/02/2022 "Why does bovine tuberculosis persist in some French regions but not others?” – Portrait of Ciriac Charles, PhD student

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Environmental health
Published on 17/02/2022 Work on 5G updated following a public consultation

Over 200 contributions collectedIn April 2021, ANSES published its opinion and expert appraisal report on the assessment of the health effects associated with the deployment of 5G. Given society’s interest in the topic and in order to collect any additional data, the Agency...

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Occupational health
Published on 11/02/2022 Encouraging formaldehyde substitution in several occupational sectors

Formaldehyde is a carcinogenic substanceFormaldehyde is a chemical used in many industry sectors, mainly as a disinfectant or biocide, as a preservative in the food industry and embalming, and as a feedstock for producing resins used in the manufacture of wood-based panels and...

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Environmental health
Published on 08/02/2022 Inhalation of sea spray containing brevetoxins can cause poisoning

Complementing its first opinion issued in 2021 on the ingestion of mussels contaminated by brevetoxins (BTX) in Corsica, the Agency has reviewed other routes of exposure to these marine toxins.Inhalation of contaminated sea spray during microalgae blooms is the main exposure...

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Environmental health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 04/02/2022 Drosophila as a model for exploring the effects of pesticides on Parkinson’s disease Une mouche drosophile

Why did you study the effect of paraquat on the development of Parkinson’s disease in Drosophila?Exposure to the herbicide paraquat is known to increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Paraquat has been banned in the European Union since 2007. This study aimed to...

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Published on 31/01/2022 ANSES and the French Presidency of the EU Council

When fulfilling its various missions, ANSES is involved in multiple projects that extend beyond the borders of France. It participates in the work of European and international bodies, where it sometimes represents France. Year after year, it acts as a leading agency to assess...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 28/01/2022 What does the new European regulation on veterinary medicinal products change?

What is this new regulation and what is its purpose? Portrait JP Orand.PNG Jean-Pierre Orand: Regulation (EU) 2019/6 represents a major step forward in the field of veterinary medicinal products. It aims to harmonise regulations and practices...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare, Environmental health, Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 26/01/2022 ANSES at the 2022 Paris International Agricultural Show

By exposing us to bacteria, viruses, parasites and harmful substances, our diet can sometimes make us sick. A diet that is imbalanced or not suited to our lifestyle also poses risks in the short and medium term.What are these risks? How are they changing with production and...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 24/01/2022 Phytotherapy and aromatherapy: adapting risk assessment in veterinary medicine

The use of herbal veterinary medicinal products is gaining popularity among farmers and veterinarians. However, the large majority of plants, herbal preparations and essential oils commonly used in veterinary medicine have not been assessed in accordance with the regulations on...

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Published on 21/01/2022 The CNDP and ANSES forge a partnership to better inform and involve the public

The health crisis we have been experiencing for almost two years now has highlighted the public's growing desire to better understand the health and environmental issues we are all facing. It has also brought to light two conflicting trends: on the one hand, high demand for...

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Environmental health
Published on 14/01/2022 A partnership to better control bacteria in food processing facilities

Salmonella and Listeria are two bacteria of animal origin that cause foodborne illnesses in humans. They can persist for several months in natural and agricultural environments, as well as in food processing facilities. In addition, certain strains can resist treatment with...

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Published on 11/01/2022 Health risk assessment: ANSES renews ten of its expert groups

To fulfil its public expert appraisal tasks in its fields of competence, ANSES relies on collective, independent expert appraisals. For this purpose, the Agency calls on some 800 experts recognised both nationally and internationally for their skills in various scientific...

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Environmental health
Published on 06/01/2022 Electronic cigarettes: which inhaled substances should be monitored as a priority?

Electronic cigarettes have been widely adopted by part of the population, yet the health risks potentially associated with the inhalation of the substances emitted by these devices have yet to be assessed in detail. ANSES has drawn up a list of substances to be studied as a...

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Environmental health
Published on 16/12/2021 A new role for ANSES in monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater

Monitoring the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater serves to indirectly track the spread of the virus and its variants in the population. "Instead of having to screen several hundred people, we can use a single regular test to find out whether the virus is present in a...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 16/12/2021 Disorders on two cattle farms highly unlikely to be due to wind turbines

For several years now, two cattle farms in the Loire region have been reporting various disorders in their animals: high mortality, lameness, reduction in milk quality and quantity, udder inflammation, etc. The farmers believe that these problems began in 2012, following the...

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Food and nutrition, Environmental health
Published on 15/12/2021 Lack of physical activity and overly sedentary lifestyles: public health priorities

Some categories of the population are particularly affectedCurrently, only 5% of adults exercise enough for it to protect their health.In fact, in 2016, ANSES had identified the need to combine various types and levels of activity to stay healthy:five times a week, for 30...

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Environmental health
Published on 14/12/2021 Give priority to graphene-free masks

In April 2021, the Canadian authorities removed several models of FFP2 protective masks containing graphene from the market, due to a potential risk of lung effects associated with the inhalation of graphene particles. As these same products had also been distributed in France,...

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Published on 14/12/2021 Surgical masks: health thresholds not exceeded for chemical contaminants

Exploratory investigationsIn response to the widespread everyday use of surgical masks since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DGCCRF (Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control) decided to conduct two sampling campaigns in 2020 and...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 13/12/2021 Bee health: review of the latest research findings

ANSES, and in particular its Sophia Antipolis Laboratory, is recognised at national, European and international level for its expertise in bee health. Its research aims to better understand, detect and remedy all the factors threatening bee health.PoshBee, a European project on...

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Published on 08/12/2021 A prize for our Zootopique podcast!

Zootopique, the ANSES podcast with a focus on the future, has won a Grand Prix Stratégies award for communication in the field of healthcare. Set up in partnership with The Conversation and Moustic Studio, the series took silver in the "podcast” category. Launched on the first...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 03/12/2021 National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health: results of the 2021 calls for research projects

Thirty-three research projects have been selected by ANSES under the 2021 PNR EST. They will receive a total of €6 million in funding. This research will provide new knowledge on environmental risks to human health, in the general population or at work, and to ecosystems.     In...

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Environmental health
Published on 29/11/2021 Rat poison: only use products authorised in France

Two young children have died after accidentally swallowing a rat poison banned in France. ANSES wishes to warn consumers of the danger of these products and to reiterate its recommendations for avoiding accidents. At issue: the presence of a substance that is banned in FranceIn...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 25/11/2021 ANSES provides support for testing a weekly vegetarian menu in schools

A series of questions on the overall context of the trialThe French EGAlim Act established a two-year trial to introduce a vegetarian menu at least once a week in school canteens, starting in November 2019. As an alternative to meat or fish dishes, the vegetarian menu may...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 24/11/2021 How to better prevent risks of ingestion of metal fragments by cows

Foreign bodies, particularly metal objects, are sometimes accidentally mixed with cattle feed. Ingestion of metal objects can cause damage to internal organs, which can lead to death in the worst cases. Following a request from the association Robin des Bois, ANSES has just...

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Occupational health
Published on 23/11/2021 Cumulative exposure in the workplace: 12 profiles to inform prevention policies

During their careers, employees may be exposed simultaneously to a number of sources of stress likely to affect their health in the short or long term. These include night work, exposure to biological agents or chemicals, a lack of resources, or workplace tensions. Taking...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare
Published on 22/11/2021 Bulk selling: recommendations and products to be excluded

What do we mean by bulk selling?Some products have been sold in bulk – i.e. loose – for many years, including fresh fruit and vegetables or dry products such as cereals, pulses or dried fruit.In France, the AGEC Act of 22 August 2021 on waste control and the circular economy,...

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Published on 19/11/2021 ANSES and the Istituto Superiore di Sanità sign a scientific partnership agreement

ANSES and the Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità or ISS), Italy's leading public health research organisation, signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday 18 November 2021. The aim is to strengthen a long-standing scientific partnership...

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Animal health and welfare, Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 17/11/2021 Antimicrobial resistance in animals: what major conclusions can be drawn for 2020?

What is antimicrobial resistance? Jean-Yves Madec: Antimicrobial resistance is the ability of bacteria to resist antibiotics. It is the result of antibiotics being overused in human and veterinary medicine. These resistant bacteria can be transmitted from animals to humans, and...

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Published on 16/11/2021 Nitrous oxide poisoning on the increase

Nitrous oxide is a gas used in medical applications for pain relief and anaesthesia. It is subject to drug regulations. Used in industry as an oxidiser, it is also found in compressed form in everyday consumer products, such as the cartridges for kitchen siphons. It is therefore...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 16/11/2021 Could mosquito traps provide an additional tool for controlling vector-borne diseases?

Mosquito traps are increasingly used in public spaces as a means to prevent mosquito bites and to control mosquito-borne diseases. However, the studies currently available are not sufficient to demonstrate the short-term effectiveness of these traps in preventing the spread of...

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Published on 15/11/2021 National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health: Calls for projects issued for 2022

ANSES is issuing new calls for projects as part of the National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health (PNR EST). They support research to develop scientific knowledge that is essential for health-related risk assessments and expert appraisals. The 2022...

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Food and nutrition, Environmental health
Published on 10/11/2021 Initial literature review on the possible hazards of asbestos ingestion

Certain drinking water pipes are made of asbestos cement. Under some circumstances, therefore, asbestos fibres can be found in drinking water. ANSES has conducted an initial review of the scientific literature to characterise the hazards associated with asbestos ingestion....

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 29/10/2021 ANSES & Inserm scientific conference

The exposome concept arose from the need to gain a better understanding of the health impact of the various exposures of an individual over a lifetime, taking into account environmental exposure to chemical, physical and biological agents on the one hand and socio-economic...

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Environmental health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 19/10/2021 Three questions for Ohri Yamada on the phytopharmacovigilance

The phytopharmacovigilance scheme that we coordinate, which is specific to France, focuses on the effects of plant protection products and their residues, observed under their actual conditions of use. Ohri Yamada, Head of the Phytopharmacovigilance Unit, gives us an overview of...

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Environmental health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 19/10/2021 Launch of PestiRiv : an original study on the exposure to pesticides of people living near vineyards

 A large part of the rural population in France lives in wine-growing regions. Are these people particularly exposed to the plant protection products used and if so, how? Today, to answer these questions, Santé publique France and ANSES are launching PestiRiv, the first large-...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 15/10/2021 A memorandum of understanding in animal health and zoonoses

ANSES and the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), the German Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop their scientific and technical partnership in the fields of animal health, welfare and zoonoses according to a "One...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare
Published on 13/10/2021 Marco project: six years of marine research in Côte d’Opale

For six years, the Marco project was dedicated to comprehensive research into marine environments and aquatic products in Hauts-de-France, including marine and coastal ecosystems, marine resources, the quality of seafood products, marine energy, and related socio-economic...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 11/10/2021 A specific health risk assessment guide for nanomaterials in food

Numerous nanomaterials found in foodIn the food sector, engineered (manufactured) nanomaterials are mainly used:as food additives, to improve a product's appearance and palatability by modifying its structure, colour or texture. For example, titanium dioxide (E171) and silicon...

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Published on 07/10/2021 Launch of the appelsprojetsrecherche.fr portal

To facilitate access to calls for projects and research funding, ADEME, the ANR, Inserm – including ANRS | Emerging Infectious Diseases – ANSES and INCa are launching a single portal, appelsprojetsrecherche.fr, for all of their calls for scientific projects. The...

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Environmental health
Published on 06/10/2021 Pollution peaks: revise information and alert thresholds to ensure better protection of populations

Air pollution peaks have a negative impact on population health, causing short-term increases in the number of hospital admissions for cardiorespiratory issues, and even deaths. To limit these effects, the Agency recommends lowering the information and alert thresholds for...

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Environmental health
Published on 04/10/2021 Classification of sodium 3-(allyloxy)-2-hydroxypropanesulphonate as a Category 1B reprotoxic substance

The substance sodium 3-(allyloxy)-2-hydroxypropanesulphonate, used in adhesives, paints, coatings, resins and water treatment products, can cause severe eye damage and impaired fertility. To better inform consumers and workers and protect their health, ANSES has submitted a...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 30/09/2021 Improving the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in animals

Monitoring antimicrobial resistance involves sampling bacteria to test their response to different antibiotics. These samples can be taken from healthy animals, i.e. at the slaughterhouse or in meat, or from sick animals, in which case the samples are taken by the vets treating...

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Animal health and welfare, Environmental health
Published on 29/09/2021 ANSES Scientific Conference on Bee Health

Parce que 90 % des espèces végétales à fleurs dépendent uniquement des insectes pollinisateurs pour leur reproduction, le phénomène d'affaiblissement et de mortalité des colonies d'abeilles constaté dans le monde constitue aujourd’hui une préoccupation majeure.La mortalité des...

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Published on 29/09/2021 Discover what activities ANSES has planned for the Fête de la Science

Observe insects, learn how diseases spread or take a tour around the lab. During France’s Fête de la Science (Science Festival), ANSES scientists reach out to the general public and schoolchildren.  A health pass will be needed for all public events.Protecting farm animals at...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 22/09/2021 Vitamin D: opt for medicines to avoid overdosing infants

Vitamin D is essential for bone growth in children. To ensure this growth, vitamin D is prescribed in France from the first few days of a baby’s life to prevent rickets, which is a disease of growth and ossification.However, giving your child too much vitamin D can be just as...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 20/09/2021 How a parasitic worm travelled across Europe

Rodents and foxes are the preferred hosts of the Echinococcus multilocularis parasite, but when it accidentally infects humans, it causes alveolar echinococcosis. This disease occurs only rarely, with about 40 new cases a year in France, but it has serious consequences,...

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Published on 09/09/2021 Protect consumers through better regulation of intense pulsed light hair removal

A practice that has been growing since the 2000sIntense pulsed light (IPL) hair removal devices saw rapid growth in the mid-2000s. Whether they are used by professionals – dermatologists, aesthetic doctors, operators acting under the responsibility of doctors, beauty salons – or...

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Published on 03/09/2021 Eric Vial appointed Risk Assessment Director of ANSES

Éric Vial was appointed Risk Assessment Director of ANSES on 2 August 2021. He now coordinates the Agency's scientific expert appraisal activities on the health risks associated with food, the environment and work or affecting animal and plant health. Éric Vial is thus...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 31/08/2021 The mushroom-picking season has come early this year: take care to avoid the risk of poisoning

The weather conditions in July and August this year have favoured early foraging for wild mushrooms. Many cases of poisoning due to consumption have already been observed. These can be serious (severe digestive disorders, kidney complications or liver damage that may require a...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 24/08/2021 A new method for monitoring the spread of a deadly bee disease

Summer is normally the honey harvesting season, and is an opportunity for beekeepers to check their hives for American foulbrood. This is the most lethal infectious disease affecting bees. It is caused by the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae, which kills bee larvae as they develop...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 03/08/2021 ANSES at the International Livestock Trade Fair (SPACE 2021)

African swine fever, the bird flu crisis in duck farms, farm animal well-being, etc. Whether you are a professional in the sector or a private individual, you are invited to discover our work in response to the health challenges of today and tomorrow. 

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Food and nutrition
Published on 29/07/2021 Keep water beads out of the reach of children

The swallowing by young children of water beads can cause serious and sometimes fatal accidents. Because the number of cases of ingestion has increased sharply, we are issuing an alert to parents and carers, and reminding them of the importance of keeping these objects out of...

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Environmental health
Published on 27/07/2021 Covid-19: How viable is SARS-CoV-2 in the air?

The scientific data available confirm, on the whole, that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 can occur from aerosols containing particles that have retained their infectivity. However, we are unable today to determine the respective contributions of different SARS-CoV-2 transmission...

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Food and nutrition, Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 23/07/2021 Seeking a more protective European definition for nanomaterials

Used in a wide variety of everyday products (such as food, cosmetics, drugs, etc.), nanomaterials raise many questions about the risks to human health and the environment generated by their presence. The European Union currently defines "nanomaterial" as a material whose size or...

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Occupational health
Published on 20/07/2021 Recognising the carcinogenic nature of cytostatic drugs in order to improve occupational risk prevention

Many professionals – nurses, caregivers, doctors, veterinarians, cleaning staff, etc. – are potentially exposed to cytostatics, which are drugs used in particular during chemotherapy to treat cancer. ANSES is recommending that work involving exposure to 18 cytostatic active...

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Published on 12/07/2021 ANSES renews its collaboration on food safety with the NIFDS, its counterpart in Korea

On 12 July, ANSES and the Republic of Korea’s National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation (NIFDS) signed a new five-year memorandum of understanding in the area of food-related risks, following an initial five-year collaboration.In the Republic of Korea, the NIFDS is...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 09/07/2021 Animal protein in pig and poultry feed: separate production to limit risks

Cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, have become extremely rare in Europe. The European Commission thus envisions allowing Member States to relax the regulation that prohibits the use of animal protein in the feed of farmed animals...

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Published on 05/07/2021 Prostate cancer and occupational exposure to pesticides: ANSES publishes its first expert appraisal report for the recognition of occupational diseases

Since May 2018, ANSES has been responsible for conducting scientific expert appraisals prior to the creation or amendment of occupational disease lists or the issuing of recommendations to the regional committees for the recognition of occupational diseases (CRRMPs). As part of...

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Published on 05/07/2021 Review of the event "Microplastics and nanomaterials: research on environment and health"

Nearly 1000 people attended our scientific conference on the impact of microplastics and nanomaterials, organised jointly with the French National Research Agency (ANR) on 20 May. All the day's sessions are available for replay.Microplastics and nanomaterials have some...

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Published on 05/07/2021 ANSES issues a call for applications for the creation of an Expert Committee on Socio-economic analysis

When carrying out its health risk assessment mission, ANSES relies on groups of independent experts from various scientific fields. To better evaluate certain health issues, the Agency can be required to take socio-economic aspects into consideration at various stages of its...

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Environmental health
Published on 01/07/2021 Plants sold commercially: What are the health risks?

Common yew, dieffenbachia, garden angelica… ANSES publishes the list of commercially available plants which can pose a health risk and the precautions to take to avoid poisoning. This information is also available on the plantes-risque.info website. The list of 58 plants posing...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 01/07/2021 Better characterising the exposure of French Caribbean populations to chlordecone through food

ANSES has launched the ChlorExpo study in Guadeloupe and Martinique. Its aim is to obtain a more accurate picture of the population's level of dietary exposure to chlordecone, guided by the latest knowledge on the risks of exposure to this chemical contaminant. In order to take...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 30/06/2021 Ensuring that hand sanitisers are effective against coronavirus

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recommendation to adopt barrier gestures, the use of alcohol-based gels and solutions to disinfect hands has become part of our daily routine, whenever washing with soap and water is not possible. Is a product still effective if...

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Environmental health, Plant health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 28/06/2021 Use of pesticides in the home in the French overseas territories (Reunion Island, Guadeloupe, Martinique)

Used in gardens and homes or as antiparasitic products for humans and pets, pesticides expose the public to health risks that need to be controlled. In order to better understand the practices and uses of pesticides in the French overseas territories, ANSES conducted the Pesti'...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 24/06/2021 What are the risks of virtual reality and augmented reality, and what good practices does ANSES recommend?

Virtual and augmented reality are increasingly used in a wide variety of fields including healthcare, training, real estate, safety and leisure. In parallel with this deployment, ANSES decided to take a closer look at the impact of the population's exposure to these emerging...

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Published on 24/06/2021 Keep objects containing magnetic balls out of the reach of children!

The health authorities are alerting parents and carers of young children to the risks of swallowing magnetic balls. These accidents can lead to very serious complications.Two serious cases of accidental ingestion of 3 to 5 mm magnetic balls have been reported recently, involving...

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Published on 18/06/2021 Gabrielle Bouleau re-elected as Chair of ANSES's Committee for Ethical Standards and Prevention of Conflicts of Interest

Gabrielle BOULEAU is in charge of "public policies, risks and adaptation" at INRAE's EcoSocio Department. Author of a book "Politisation des enjeux écologiques. De la forme au motif environnemental" on the politicisation of environmental issues, she is also responsible for two...

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Plant health
Published on 17/06/2021 Harmonising the tests for detecting plant pests

The goal of Valitest was to improve diagnostic tools for plant pests such as bacteria, viruses, nematodes and fungi. This detection is essential for taking measures against these harmful organisms as early as possible, both to limit the damage to plants and avoid their...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 15/06/2021 Re-assessment of glyphosate: the group of Member States submits its draft report to EFSA and ECHA

As glyphosate's approval in the European Union expires at the end of 2022, any future use requires this herbicidal active substance to undergo a new assessment of the risks to humans and the environment. A group of four rapporteur Member States (France, Hungary, the Netherlands...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 14/06/2021 ANSES appointed international reference laboratory for contagious equine metritis

Contagious equine metritis is caused by the bacterium Taylorella equigenitalis. In 25 to 30% of infected mares it leads to endometritis, an infection of the uterus which prevents them from bearing young. Males are healthy carriers, but can transmit the bacteria during mating or...

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Plant health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 02/06/2021 Alternatives to neonicotinoids to control yellowing in beet crops

In an update of its 2018 Opinion on alternatives to neonicotinoids, ANSES identified 22 solutions for controlling aphids and yellowing disease in sugar beet crops. These control measures may take over from neonicotinoid products, which have been banned since 2018 but whose use...

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Published on 02/06/2021 Charlotte Grastilleur appointed Managing Director General in charge of coordinating ANSES’s Regulated Products Division

On 1 June, Charlotte Grastilleur was appointed Managing Director General in charge of ANSES's Regulated Products Division. She now coordinates the Agency's departments in charge of assessing applications and issuing marketing authorisations for plant protection products,...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 27/05/2021 A review of risk factors for 11 foodborne diseases

ANSES's scientists compiled the results of no fewer than 673 epidemiological studies published before May 2017 (case-control and cohort studies) that had dealt with risk factors for sporadic foodborne infections. This work was undertaken in collaboration with the Polytechnic...

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Published on 19/05/2021 Microplastics and nanomaterials

Do you know what microplastics and nanomaterials have in common?Their infinitesimally small size makes these compounds difficult to assess. They are also two topics that we study at ANSES to better understand the hazards they represent. Engineered nanomaterials and plastic have...

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Published on 19/05/2021 "On the issue of nanomaterials, we have to questions about their utility in view of the health risks"- Aurélie Niaudet.

"We need to be pragmatic on the issue of nanomaterials: we have to better understand exposure, identify their uses and ask questions about their utility in view of the health risks".Aurélie Niaudet, in charge of assessing the risks associated with physical agents, explains the...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 12/05/2021 Beware of overconsumption of herbal supplements containing coumarin

ANSES recently assessed the risks associated with the coumarin content of certain plants when consumed in food supplements in particular. Coumarin is a natural aromatic compound found in certain plants such as cinnamon. It is used in food as a spice or natural flavouring...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 07/05/2021 Consequences of acute exposure to glyphosate in trout

After testing the effects of chronic exposure to low doses of glyphosate, either pure or mixed with co-formulants, scientists from the Viral Diseases in Fish Unit  at ANSES’s Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory exposed five-month-old trout to a concentration of 500 µg of...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 07/05/2021 Titanium dioxide: news of EFSA's updated assessment of the food additive E171

ANSES notes the conclusions of EFSA's re-assessment of titanium dioxide used as a food additive (E171), which confirm the health concerns raised by the Agency in its own 2017 and 2019 assessments. It will now take the data from this new assessment into account in its ongoing...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 07/05/2021 Antiparasitics containing fipronil are toxic to rabbits

Between January 2013 and December 2020, ANSES received 137 reports of adverse reactions in rabbits following administration of fipronil-based antiparasitics. Of this total, 66 were considered serious and 33 deaths were reported. These antiparasitics are approved for use in dogs...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 05/05/2021 Do not treat your cat with antiparasitics for dogs

Marketing authorisations for veterinary medicinal products are issued for a given animal species. So it is important that each veterinary medicinal product be administered only to the species for which it is intended. Permethrin-based ectoantiparasiticides, for example, are...

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Environmental health
Published on 05/05/2021 Watch out for ticks, even in your garden

Some tick species can transmit viruses, bacteria or parasites to animals and humans. The main human tick-borne disease in France is Lyme disease, caused by a bacterium from the group Borrelia burgdorferi. In the event of infection, a characteristic red "bull's eye" appears on...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 30/04/2021 How reliable are the tests for Q fever?

Q fever is a disease caused by the Coxiella burnetii bacterium, which affects many animal species, including cattle, sheep and goats, and can be transmitted to humans. The infection of animals has a significant economic impact, as it can lead to abortion. In humans, it is...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 30/04/2021 ANSES, EnvA and INRAE renew two joint research units for animal diseases

The two units bring together staff from the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), the Alfort National Veterinary School (EnvA) and the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE). They are...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 23/04/2021 Publication of the new dietary reference values for the vitamin and mineral intake of the French population

Dietary reference values for each sector of the populationANSES has now finished updating the dietary reference values for the vitamin and mineral intake of the adult population. This information also covers the vitamins and minerals that it was unable to include in 2016. At the...

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Environmental health
Published on 20/04/2021 5G: no new health risks according to the data available

5G: new 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz bands to increase speed and allow a greater number of connected objects to communicateThe main difference in relation to previous generations of mobile networks is that 5G should be able to handle a far larger amount of data without saturating the...

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Occupational health
Published on 19/04/2021 7th Scientific Day of the Institut Santé-Travail Paris-Est (IST-PE)

The seventh Scientific Day of the Institut Santé-Travail Paris-Est will take place on Thursday 18 November 2021. The topic of the day will be "Health, Work & the Healthcare Environment".The day will begin with an introductory conference which will be followed by three theme-...

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Environmental health
Published on 19/04/2021 Scientific Encounters ANSES & ANR - Microplastics and nanomaterials: Research on environment & health

The degradation of plastic materials and the numerous uses of nanomaterials in everyday products have led to the release of large quantities of micro- and nanoscale particles into the environment. While the use of plastics and manufactured nanomaterials has clear advantages, the...

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Environmental health
Published on 15/04/2021 Accelerating the assessment of endocrine disruptors

Endocrine disruptors (EDs) are substances that interfere with the hormonal functions of humans and animals. They lead to adverse effects on the exposed organisms or impact the survival of the species. For example, they can affect reproduction, development, metabolism and...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare
Published on 14/04/2021 Zootopique, the ANSES podcast with a focus on the future

Human and animal health: bound together for better or for worseThe interactions between human and animal health are many and complex, with new questions constantly emerging in the area where the two overlap. At ANSES, many scientists study this topic every day. Based on the...

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Food and nutrition, Environmental health
Published on 13/04/2021 Brevetoxins in shellfish: proposal of a guideline value to protect consumers

Emerging marine biotoxins detected in shellfish in FranceBrevetoxins (BTX) are marine toxins that augment the transmission of nerve impulses. They can be responsible for neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) if contaminated shellfish are ingested. This poisoning causes...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 09/04/2021 ANSES and the DGCCRF reiterate the importance of cooking shiitake mushrooms thoroughly before eating to avoid poisoning

Consumption of raw or undercooked shiitake mushrooms can cause severe itching that lasts for several weeksShiitake (Lentinula edodes) may be marketed under different names: (golden) oak mushrooms, Chinese/Oriental black mushrooms. They can also be sold in mixtures with other...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 08/04/2021 The ANMV actively engaged to ensure equine herpes virus vaccine availability

The participation of horses in international competitions in Spain, and particularly the Valencia Spring Tour, which brought together 800 horses in February, has led to the spread of an outbreak of rhinopneumonitis (caused by equine herpes virus [EHV1]) within various European...

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Occupational health
Published on 06/04/2021 "Helping improve the system of prevention, recognition and compensation for occupational diseases in France". Three questions for Henri Bastos, Occupational Health Scientific Director at ANSES

Why carry out independent collective expert appraisals for the recognition of occupational diseases?In France, occupational disease tables are the cornerstones of the system for the recognition of work-related illnesses. Their creation and modification are important processes...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 02/04/2021 The European Transparency Regulation: a new framework for risk assessment and food safety

What is the Transparency Regulation changing?Regulation (EU) 2019/1381 is improving the transparency of EU risk assessment in the food chain, as well as the reliability, objectivity and independence of the studies used by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). It is also...

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Environmental health
Published on 30/03/2021 Beware of burns from false nail glue splashing onto clothes!

The current trend for false nails and the health restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have led to an increase in the use of cyanoacrylate adhesives at home. While direct skin contact with these glues is generally not serious, splashes through clothing can cause severe burns...

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Plant health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 26/03/2021 Monitoring resistance to plant protection products around the world

Scientists from ANSES and INRAE have analysed the systems in place to monitor resistance to plant protection products around the world. Their findings showed that studies on this subject are often engaged by both private and public players, at the same time and in the same...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 16/03/2021 Preventing the accidental ingestion of medicinal products for horses

Cases of adverse effects are regularly reported after humans have been accidentally exposed to veterinary medicinal products. Prascend®, intended for horses, is the medicinal product most frequently involved, after antiparasitics. Its mode of administration, generally hidden in...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 11/03/2021 What role do dogs play in the spread of antimicrobial resistance?

A project coordinated by ANSES on the role of pets in the spread of antimicrobial resistance has just been selected for funding.More than one in two French households owns a pet. Do they play an important role in the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria? Few studies...

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Environmental health
Published on 09/03/2021 Bisphenol B, an endocrine disruptor for humans and the environment

Bisphenol B, an endocrine disruptor for humans and the environment ANSES assessed the endocrine-disrupting potential of bisphenol B as part of the French national endocrine disruptor strategy. Based on the scientific data available, ANSES has established that this substance...

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Occupational health
Published on 04/03/2021 Recommended occupational exposure limits for titanium dioxide nanoparticles

TiO2-NP: used since the 1990s for its anti-UV and photocatalytic propertiesTitanium dioxide in nanoparticle form or TiO2-NP has been used for the past thirty years primarily for its ultraviolet radiation absorption and photocatalytic properties, which degrade certain pollutants...

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Published on 03/03/2021 Event review – International symposium on "Credibility of scientific expertise and public decision-making"

Increased complexity of health risks in a globalised world, mistrust of the authorities: the contribution of scientific expertise to public decision-making regularly generates high expectations and lively debate. This has once again been demonstrated with the COVID-19 pandemic....

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Food and nutrition, Occupational health
Published on 25/02/2021 A project to understand and model the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in meat processing plants

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, several outbreaks have occurred in food processing facilities, and particularly in meat processing plants. A number of factors are thought to favour the persistence and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including: a cool, humid environment...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare, Environmental health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 25/02/2021 Launch of a project in Lyon to bring ANSES and the ANSM closer together: their future shared home takes shape

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) and the French Health Products Safety Agency (ANSM) have decided to combine some of their scientific activities and bring them together under a new roof. The Pargade Architectes firm was...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 25/02/2021 Facilitate access to mass catering and improve nutritional quality in fast-food restaurants

Every week in France, 83% of children and adolescents and nearly 80% of working adults and students take one or more meals outside their home. ANSES conducted a review of the foods consumed and the nutritional intakes of these meals taken away from home. Mass catering, i.e....

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Published on 23/02/2021 Women in science: ANSES portraits

Celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we take a closer look at the activities and careers pursued by women at ANSES.Women at ANSES are present in many different fields, including research and surveillance, health risk assessment, regulatory sciences...

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Plant health
Published on 19/02/2021 A new technique capable of identifying unregistered GMOs

The genetic modification of organisms by transgenesis consists in introducing one or more genes from another species into their genome. GMOs are generally detected by searching for DNA sequences frequently used to obtain them. These sequences enable the cells of the modified...

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Published on 11/02/2021 Anses portrait - "Connecting expertise with the field" - Fanny Debil

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Food and nutrition
Published on 11/02/2021 A new online reporting website for the French nutrivigilance scheme

The French nutrivigilance scheme collects reports of adverse effects associated with the consumption of certain food products, including food supplements. Healthcare professionals, manufacturers or distributors and individuals can now report these adverse effects more quickly...

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Published on 10/02/2021 Classification proposal for a fragrance

The substance hexyl salicylate, used in cosmetics and household cleaners, can have various effects on health, ranging from allergic skin reactions to abnormal foetal development. In order to better inform and protect consumers, ANSES has submitted a classification proposal to...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 08/02/2021 Dog bites: knowing the breed is not enough for predicting and preventing the risk

Thousands of dog bites are recorded in France every year. The existing regulations for preventing them are based on the animal's breed or breed type. Following its expert appraisal on the subject, ANSES concluded that this information alone cannot reliably predict the risk of...

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Published on 01/02/2021 Matthieu Schuler becomes Managing Director General of the "Science for Expertise" Division at ANSES

On 1 February 2021, Matthieu Schuler was appointed Managing Director General of ANSES’s "Science for Expertise" Division. Matthieu Schuler takes over from Professor Gérard Lasfargues and will continue to consolidate the Agency's scientific orientations in order to guarantee...

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Plant health
Published on 27/01/2021 Close monitoring of the presence of a devastating banana fungus in Mayotte

The phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), which was detected in Mayotte for the first time in late 2019, represents a major threat to banana crops. In December, eleven new suspected cases raised fears of further outbreaks of the...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 27/01/2021 Vitamin D for children: use medicines and not food supplements to prevent the risk of overdose

To prevent this risk, they are asking healthcare professionals and parents to:opt for medicines rather than food supplements;check the doses administered (verify the amount of vitamin D per drop);avoid combining different products containing vitamin D.> Read the opinion (PDF...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 13/01/2021 First project for the research network on animal health and welfare in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

The first research project supported by the thematic research network on animal health and welfare in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (SAARA), in which ANSES is participating, is seeking a better understanding of the evolution of mycoplasmas, a bacterial genus that contains some...

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Published on 05/01/2021 ANSES's 2021 work programme

ANSES has just published its 2021 work programme, which sets the course for its actions in all its areas of expertise. This programme outlines the work that the Agency will carry out in response to formal requests or as part of major national public health plans, as well as its...

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Published on 05/01/2021 ANSES wishes a great New year for all

 ➡ Our greeting card    

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Environmental health
Published on 22/12/2020 ANSES proposes an EU-wide restriction of hazardous chemicals in disposable diapers

Protecting the health of 90% of European children from birth to three years of age from exposure to hazardous substances: this is the aim of the restriction proposal concerning disposable diapers that ANSES has submitted under REACh, the European chemicals regulation. It seeks...

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Animal health and welfare, Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 21/12/2020 National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health: results of the 2020 calls for research projects

Today, ANSES is publishing the list of projects selected as part of the 2020 calls for research projects for the National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health. Thirty-four projects were chosen following the selection process, with total funding of six...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare
Published on 21/12/2020 ANSES and Sciensano continue their cooperation

ANSES and its Belgian counterpart Sciensano have just renewed the long-standing agreements between them, first signed in 2009. The two agencies will continue their joint activities, mainly in the areas of diagnosis, research and reference relating to the pathogens responsible...

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Animal health and welfare, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 21/12/2020 Some products containing glyphosate may decrease trout immunity before reproduction

ANSES scientists exposed rainbow trout for 10 months to glyphosate concentrations comparable to those found in nature. This exposure did not affect their survival, reproduction or metabolism. However, occasional changes to their immune response were observed.The research was...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 21/12/2020 ANSES takes part in five new European research projects on infectious animal diseases

The projects resulting from ERA-NET calls are European collaborative studies, co-funded by national research funding agencies, such as the National Research Agency (ANR) in France, and the European Commission. They aim to coordinate national research and development programmes,...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 21/12/2020 Digital Horse Week: a presentation by ANSES on diseases in the equine sector

ANSES's Laboratory for Animal Health is the national and European reference laboratory for major equine infectious diseases. Aymeric Hans, Director of the Physiopathology and Epidemiology of Equine Diseases (PhEED) unit based in Normandy, is taking part in a round table on...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 16/12/2020 Food supplements containing tea tree, niaouli and cajeput essential oils: their misuse can pose risks

Derived from the leaves of various Melaleuca species, tea tree, niaouli and cajeput essential oils are contained in numerous food supplements. The antimicrobial properties claimed in aromatherapy books have led consumers to misuse these food supplements as auxiliary therapies to...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 15/12/2020 Decorative plants – their ingestion can be toxic to both humans and animals

During the winter holiday season, holly, mistletoe and poinsettia are used to decorate cakes, home interiors and gardens. The ingestion of berries or leaves by children or animals can be toxic, causing symptoms of varying severity depending on the quantity consumed. In the event...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 14/12/2020 Singapore and France sign Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation on food safety

On December 14, 2020, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote improved scientific and technical cooperation between the two national agencies in the...

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Environmental health
Published on 04/12/2020 Ragweed in France: costs of the health impacts and proposed courses of action

What is ragweed and what are its consequences?Common ragweed is a weed that thrives in:certain agricultural crops such as sunflower or maize, where it causes considerable yield losses;other environments such as riverbanks or roadsides.Ragweed releases a highly allergenic pollen...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 03/12/2020 Falsified antiparasitic collars sold on the Internet

The French Agency for Veterinary Medicinal Products (ANMV), part of ANSES, is responsible for monitoring the market of products for veterinary use. Following an alert suggesting that the Wish e-commerce platform may have been selling falsified antiparasitic collars, the ANMV...

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Published on 02/12/2020 International Symposium about the credibility of scientific expertise and public decision-making

In the late 1990s, a series of crises led the European Union and some of its Member States to reform the organisation of scientific expertise contributing to the governance of health risks.Despite these reforms, the health authorities sometimes see their opinions challenged in...

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Environmental health
Published on 01/12/2020 Nanomaterials: assessment of R-Nano, the national reporting scheme

Nanomaterials are contained in a wide variety of everyday products such as sunscreens, textiles, food and paints. They are used for their specific properties (size, morphology, solubility, etc.) in many industrial sectors, including construction, automotive, packaging, agri-food...

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Published on 27/11/2020 ANSES, BRGM, Ifremer, Ineris, INRAE, IRSN, the Gustave Eiffel University and Public Health France sign a charter on openness to society

Through their research, expert appraisal and/or scientific and technical assessment activities, these eight public establishments share a common ambition: to facilitate a greater understanding of risks and how they can be prevented and reduced. They also share the same belief...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 27/11/2020 The FAO appoints ANSES as a Reference Centre for antimicrobial resistance

On 25 November 2020, ANSES became a Reference Centre for antimicrobial resistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). This new centre, which will involve several Agency entities working on antimicrobial resistance surveillance and research, will...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 26/11/2020 Severe acute hepatitis following consumption of the food supplement Chewable Hair Vitamins®

ANSES recommends that women who use oral contraception should not take the food supplement Chewable Hair Vitamins®.Chewable Hair Vitamins®, marketed by HairBurst, is a food supplement in chewing-gum form used to maintain healthy hair.In 2019, as part of its nutrivigilance scheme...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 25/11/2020 ANSES Scientific Conference – New Prospects for Vector Control of Pathogens

Fighting pathogen vectors, including mosquitoes and ticks, is essential to prevent and reduce at the source serious pathologies that still threaten human health on a global scale. The use of chemical mosquito insecticides, with their successes and failures, is emblematic of the...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 23/11/2020 ANSES alerts the public authorities to the levels of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour among young people

Adolescence is a pivotal period: the habits acquired at this time tend to be perpetuated or even accentuated in adulthood, with the associated health effects. Unfortunately, the current context is particularly conducive to an increase in sedentary time, especially "screen time...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 19/11/2020 COVID-19: wild and domestic animals play no epidemiological role in sustaining or spreading the virus in France

Receptivity to SARS-CoV-2 is the ability of an animal species to harbour the virus without necessarily developing symptoms. Susceptibility refers to the ability of the animal species to express clinical signs and/or lesions due to the virus.The data used to define whether an...

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Animal health and welfare, Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 18/11/2020 Monitoring and better understanding the spread of antimicrobial resistance in animals: key points from the latest ANSES reports

Resapath's observations: the decline in antimicrobial resistance continuesSince 2001, the French surveillance network for antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic bacteria of animal origin (Resapath) has monitored the spread of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, including...

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Environmental health, Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 18/11/2020 A pioneering review of knowledge on antimicrobial resistance and antibiotics in the environment

While antimicrobial resistance is a well-researched phenomenon in humans and animals, its dissemination in the environment is less well known. However, certain resistance genes that are currently a problem in medicine come from bacteria in the environment. ANSES was therefore...

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Environmental health
Published on 16/11/2020 Exposure to mould in outdoor air exacerbates asthma in children

Following on from its work on mould in indoor air, ANSES examined the types of mould found in outdoor air (in particular Cladosporium, Alternaria and Aspergillus), and their health effects. As with those found indoors, ANSES's expert appraisal showed that they exacerbate asthma...

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Environmental health
Published on 28/10/2020 Tobacco and vaping products: ANSES is publishing an unprecedented overview of products sold in France

Today ANSES is publishing its first assessment of tobacco and vaping products sold in France. The information provided on more than 3,000 tobacco products, mainly cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos, and more than 33,000 vaping products, primarily e-liquids packaged in refill...

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Published on 28/10/2020 Washable cloth masks sold by the brand DIM: assessment of the risks relating to fabric treatment using silver zeolite and silver-copper zeolite

A textile treatment that remains possible, pending the results of the European evaluationSilver zeolite and silver-copper zeolite are active substances conferring antimicrobial properties. They are used in the manufacture of many everyday consumer articles and products,...

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Food and nutrition, Environmental health, Plant health
Published on 27/10/2020 A virus threatening courgettes detected for the first time in France

The Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) is a virus that can spread rapidly in courgette crops, causing considerable damage. ANSES’s Plant Health Laboratory confirmed its presence in France, although the country had been disease-free prior to that time.  Described for the...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 23/10/2020 Beware of poisoning when foraging for wild mushrooms!

Since the start of the mushroom-picking season, poison control centres have recorded a sharp increase in cases of poisoning associated with the consumption of wild mushrooms, particularly in the last two weeks. This type of poisoning can have serious health consequences leading...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 23/10/2020 Beware of inedible gourds!

At the height of the season for all the pumpkins, squash and other cucurbits that brighten up our autumn dishes, it is important to remember that not all "squash" are edible. Some inedible gourds can even cause food poisoning, which can sometimes be serious. Here are some...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 22/10/2020 Update National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health: calls for research projects issued for 2021

Update of 4 December 2020: Following the Ministry of the Environment's announcement of additional funding for projects on endocrine disruptors, the text of the general call for projects has been amended. To enable scientific teams to respond, the deadline for project submission...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 15/10/2020 Learn to distinguish horse chestnuts from sweet chestnuts, to avoid poisoning!

In this early autumn period, horse chestnuts, which grow and fall from the horse chestnut or conker tree, are frequently confused with sweet chestnuts, which come from the sweet or Spanish chestnut tree.In a study by ANSES on cases of confusion between plants recorded by French...

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Published on 14/10/2020 ANSES portrait - "Being prepared for the emergence of diseases"- Béatrice Grasland

Béatrice Grasland has a PhD in microbiology. She first worked in the field of swine virology, then in avian virology, with notable experience in animal coronaviruses."Construction of infectious clones to obtain viral models and study their virulence"Becoming a researcher was a...

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Animal health and welfare, Environmental health, Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 14/10/2020 ANSES Scientific Encounters - Antimicrobial resistance in animal health and in the environment

For World Antibiotic Information Day and European Antibiotic Resistance Day, ANSES is holding a Scientific Encounter on resistance to antimicrobials.During this event, which will be held remotely due to the current health crisis, ANSES will review the most recent findings on...

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Published on 12/10/2020 ANSES’s scientists and PhD students in the spotlight

To improve knowledge of health risks, ANSES conducts research in its nine laboratories. Every year, its scientists and PhD students get together for its Scientific and Doctoral Days devoted to research, where they are given the opportunity to interact with one another and...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 12/10/2020 The French Agency for Veterinary Medicinal Products to join a project to combat antibiotic shortages

Antibiotics are heavily affected by issues of shortage or lack of availability, in both human and veterinary medicine. This can be due to a number of factors, such as problems with the supply of raw materials, production stoppages or difficulties, maintaining marketing...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 09/10/2020 Glyphosate: ANSES publishes the results of its comparative assessment with the available non-chemical alternatives

In November 2018, ANSES undertook an assessment of non-chemical alternatives to glyphosate. The aim was to determine the uses for which this substance could be substituted by non-chemical alternatives and identify deadlock situations where no suitable alternatives are currently...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 08/10/2020 Today ANSES and its partners are launching the website of the food chain surveillance platform

And that makes three! After the epidemiological surveillance platforms for animal and plant health, it is now the turn of the food chain surveillance platform (SCA) to launch its dedicated website: https://www.plateforme-sca.fr. Among other things, it will provide livestock and...

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Occupational health
Published on 06/10/2020 ANSES publishes its methodological guide to creating tables of occupational diseases

A lack of recognition of occupational diseases in FranceA worker who is occupationally exposed to a health hazard (toxic substances, for example) may then contract a disease that can be recognised as an occupational disease. In France, the recognition of occupational diseases is...

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Published on 06/10/2020 ANSES portrait - Stephan Zientara “Making discoveries and preventing disease more effectively”

Stephan Zientara, age 56, is a veterinary surgeon and virologist. His role at ANSES is to study infectious animal diseases, zoonoses and vector-borne diseases.  General Inspector of veterinary public health – Director of the ANSES/INRAE/ENVA joint research unit – Deputy Director...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 25/09/2020 The mushroom foraging season is here: stay alert to the risk of poisoning!

Early autumn marks the beginning of the wild mushroom picking season. Every year, numerous cases of poisoning caused by mushrooms are reported to poison control centres. This type of poisoning can have serious health consequences leading to hospitalisation or even death: severe...

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Published on 25/09/2020 Gabrielle Bouleau elected as Chair of the ANSES Committee for Ethical Standards

Gabrielle Bouleau was elected as Chair of the ANSES Committee for Ethical Standards and Prevention of Conflicts of Interest on 16 September 2020. A chief engineer in bridges, water and forestry, and a socio-political expert with INRAE (the French National Research Institute for...

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Published on 14/09/2020 Professor Benoît Vallet appointed Chairman of ANSES's Board of Administrators

Professor Benoît Vallet was appointed Chairman of ANSES's Board of Administrators by Presidential Decree on 10 September 2020. He will be responsible for coordinating and leading the Board’s work. Besides Government representatives and Agency staff, the Board of Administrators ...

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Food and nutrition, Environmental health
Published on 03/09/2020 Cyanobacteria in fresh water: ANSES makes proposals with a view to harmonising surveillance and control

Today, ANSES is publishing an opinion on the health risks associated with the presence of cyanobacteria and their toxins in recreational water, drinking water and water intended for fishing. This work has been used to update the list of toxin-producing cyanobacteria in fresh...

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Environmental health
Published on 31/08/2020 Hand sanitiser: take care to protect young children from accidentally splashing their eyes

Dispensers for alcohol-based gel or solution provided in shops or other places open to the public are often at young children's eye level. Because they are so easy to operate, for example with a foot pedal or automatically, they can be seen as a game. More than 50 cases of...

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Environmental health
Published on 26/08/2020 Proposal for classification of a compound found in clothing and responsible for skin allergies

A proposal for classification submitted by ANSES to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) under the CLP Regulation on product classification, labelling and packaging has been subject to public consultation since 24 August 2020. This proposal concerns acetophenone azine, a...

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Published on 17/08/2020 Beware of confusion between edible and toxic plants

Frequent poisoning due to confusion between edible and toxic plants Ornamental gourd confused with edible squash, water dropwort confused with wild carrot, jimsonweed leaves confused with New Zealand spinach leaves or autumn crocus confused with wild garlic...These are just...

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Environmental health
Published on 03/08/2020 ANSES proposes classifying three lithium salts considered toxic to fertility and prenatal development

On 4 December 2019, ANSES submitted a proposal to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) for harmonised classification of lithium carbonate, lithium chloride and lithium hydroxide under the CLP Regulation (Classification, Labelling and Packaging of products). These three salts are...

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Environmental health
Published on 31/07/2020 Imitation food: vigilance needed to prevent the risk of accidents

Fizzing bath tablets that resemble sweets, depilatory creams packaged like pouches of fruit puree or hand sanitiser sold in wine bottles: such imitations of food products are frequently found on the market. Whether you are a healthcare professional or an ordinary citizen, you...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 30/07/2020 Severe poisoning after consumption of toxic jimsonweed leaves from a vegetable patch

Following a group of severe poisoning cases in the Grand-Est region, ANSES and the poison control centres are alerting the public to the risks associated with consuming toxic wild plants that have been mistaken for edible ones, including in garden vegetable patches. Severe...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 27/07/2020 ANSES makes recommendations to limit cadmium exposure from consumption of edible seaweed

Almost a quarter of edible seaweed samples analysed recently had cadmium concentrations above the maximum level of 0.5 milligram per kilogram set by the French High Council for Public Health (CSHPF). Because cadmium is classified as carcinogenic to humans and is used in foods...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 24/07/2020 Food safety: ANSES offers a tool for ranking chemical and biological hazards

From farm (food production and processing) to fork (consumption), the food we eat can be contaminated by various chemical and biological agents (hazards), posing a risk to our health.  To help risk managers optimise the safety of our food, ANSES has developed a methodology for...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 23/07/2020 Study of the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate: ANSES announces the withdrawal of the consortium selected to conduct additional toxicological studies

Following the controversies over the carcinogenic classification of glyphosate, ANSES and its expert groups developed a strategy for the toxicological studies planned to supplement exploration of this substance's carcinogenic potential. Two research teams were selected to carry...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 09/07/2020 An ANSES unit becomes the international reference laboratory for an equine parasitic disease

The Physiopathology and Epidemiology of Equine Diseases (PhEED) Unit, within the Normandy site of ANSES's Laboratory for Animal Health, has just been appointed international reference laboratory for dourine, an equine parasitic disease. This mandate was announced by the World...

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Environmental health
Published on 09/07/2020 Inhalation of nitrous oxide: ANSES recommends improving regulations and better informing the public about potential health risks

Nitrous oxide is a gas used in the medical field for its analgesic properties. It is also used and sold as a propellant in canisters for whipped cream dispensers and is therefore freely accessible in shops and on the internet. Inhalation of nitrous oxide, also known as ‘laughing...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 08/07/2020 Detection of a novel swine influenza virus in China underlines the importance of monitoring this disease in pigs

Although the novel influenza virus detected in pigs in China has some characteristics that favour its spread in humans, it does not pose an immediate human pandemic risk. Its appearance, however, is a reminder of the need to monitor the emergence and spread of swine influenza...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 08/07/2020 Loss of sense of smell: SARS-CoV-2 does not seem to infect the olfactory nerves

Loss of sense of smell is one of the most common symptoms of a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although rarer in the case of respiratory viruses such as influenza, this type of symptom is in fact well known and is related to the ability of these viruses to infect olfactory neurons. These...

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Environmental health
Published on 08/07/2020 ANSES is participating in the preparation of a European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals

ANSES and its partners are preparing a proposal for the Horizon Europe funding programme, concerning the part relating to chemical risk assessmentHorizon Europe (2021-2027) is the European Union framework programme for the funding of research and innovation. By responding to...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 07/07/2020 Table of nutritional composition of foods (CIQUAL): ANSES supplements its data and publishes its work priorities for the coming years

The CIQUAL table, managed by ANSES since 1985, is regularly updated through sampling and analysis programmes and data collected from operators, distributors and inter-professional associations, in particular via OQALI (the French Food Observatory). Currently listing 3185 foods,...

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Environmental health
Published on 03/07/2020 Water filtration in public swimming pools: ANSES publishes its recommendations on membrane processes

Today, ANSES is publishing an opinion on the use of membrane processes for filtering pool water or water used for backwashing filters in public swimming pools, to safeguard the health of bathers. Its work compared the different types of membrane processes, in terms of their...

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Environmental health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 02/07/2020 Pesticides in outdoor air: ANSES identifies the substances requiring further assessment

The CNEP provided an unprecedented national snapshot of substances in ambient airThe national exploratory pesticide campaign (CNEP) conducted by ANSES, INERIS and the AASQA network provided a snapshot of substances found in ambient air (except areas with local emission sources)...

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Published on 29/06/2020 ANSES makes a commitment to open science

Launched on 4 July 2018 by Frédérique Vidal, France’s Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, the National Plan for Open Science requires all publications and data produced through project-funded research to be made freely accessible. Open science “takes advantage...

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Environmental health
Published on 23/06/2020 Incontinence pads: ANSES publishes the results of its health risk assessment

Today, ANSES is publishing its risk assessment report on chemicals in heavy incontinence pads. In its expert appraisal, the Agency identified cases where the health thresholds for several chemical substances were exceeded for people with skin lesions who have to wear these...

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Environmental health
Published on 19/06/2020 Tiger mosquitoes: take part in their surveillance via the Signalement Moustique website!

The tiger mosquito has been established in France since 2004 and is now found in around sixty départements. It is an invasive species that can transmit diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika to humans. You can help monitor its spread by reporting sightings via the...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 19/06/2020 Information from ANSES following the article of 16 June 2020 in Le Monde

An article in Le Monde on 16 June, based on comments by anonymous individuals described as "whistleblowers" and a question to the government by French MP Delphine Batho, criticised the fact that scientists asked by ANSES to reflect upon toxicology studies were then selected by...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 09/06/2020 Nanomaterials in food: ANSES's recommendations for improving their identification and better assessing consumer health risks

Over the last thirty years, industry – particularly the food industry – has been developing the use of engineered nanomaterials because of their specific nanoscale properties. In view of the concerns about their use, ANSES received a formal request to investigate the matter from...

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Environmental health
Published on 20/05/2020 The fight against COVID-19 should not be allowed to overshadow the risks associated with the dengue epidemics occurring in the French overseas territories

Dengue epidemics: a vector control (VC) strategy undermined during lockdownTo prevent dengue epidemics, integrated vector control strategies (i.e. control of mosquitoes transmitting the pathogens and parasites that cause dengue, chikungunya, malaria, etc.) are implemented every...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 18/05/2020 CiTIQUE: new version of the app now available

To improve prevention of the risks associated with tick bites, in 2017, INRAE and its partners created the participatory "Signalement Tique" application as part of the CiTIQUE project in which ANSES is participating. From today, everyone will have access to a new version which...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 04/05/2020 Confusion between autumn crocus and wild garlic: a fatal case of poisoning reported by the poison control centres

Following a death in the Grand Est region of France, ANSES and the poison control centres are alerting the public to the risks associated with picking and consuming toxic wild plants that have been confused with edible ones, and specifically the risk of serious poisoning...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 30/04/2020 Study of the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate: ANSES announces the scientific teams selected to conduct additional toxicological studies

Following the controversy over the carcinogenic classification of glyphosate, ANSES issued a call for tenders for additional toxicological studies on the carcinogenic potential of this substance. Now that the selection process is complete, the Agency is today announcing the...

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Environmental health
Published on 28/04/2020 ANSES calls for vigilance concerning essential-oil based sprays and diffusers

Described as having the ability to “cleanse” or “purify” the air, essential-oil based sprays and diffusers are increasingly present in our homes. Continuing the studies undertaken in 2017 on indoor air purification techniques, ANSES is publishing a toxicovigilance study on...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 20/04/2020 COVID-19: domestic animals play no part in transmission of the virus to humans

Since the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus – responsible for the COVID-19 disease – emerged in China in December 2019, the knowledge acquired has shown that its main route of transmission is human-to-human, through contact between people or inhalation of infectious droplets emitted when...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 17/04/2020 ANSES warns against taking food supplements that could lower the body’s immune response

Food supplements containing plants with anti-inflammatory propertiesSome food supplements contain plants with anti-inflammatory properties that could act as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These plants could interfere with the body’s natural defences, lowering...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 17/04/2020 Ensuring sufficient vitamin D intake through diet during lockdown

Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of fracturesVitamin D is essential for our bodies to function effectively. We cover our daily vitamin D needs in two ways: by exposing our skin to sunlight or by eating foods that are rich in vitamin D. An inadequate intake of vitamin D...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 14/04/2020 ANSES opinion on the plant protection substances identified as giving rise to concern in the December 2017 mission report on the use of plant protection products

As part of France’s national action plan to reduce the use of plant protection substances, ANSES is publishing its expert appraisal on the substances requiring particular attention, based on their hazard level and on phytopharmacovigilance data. ANSES is recommending a...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 08/04/2020 Good practices for preventing foodborne infections during the lockdown

Clean surfaces and equipment thoroughlyFrequent hand washing with soap and water is the cornerstone of kitchen hygiene. Frequent cleaning of kitchen surfaces, equipment and utensils removes most of the dirt and micro-organisms that may be present. Sponges, cloths and other...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 06/04/2020 Keep up physical activity and limit sedentary behaviour: ANSES adapts its guidelines to the lockdown situation

In its opinion published in February 2016, ANSES pointed out the hazards of insufficient physical activity and the effects of sedentary behaviour. On the basis of this opinion, the Agency is now adapting its guidelines to the lockdown situation and has set out some principles to...

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Environmental health
Published on 03/04/2020 ANSES proposes identifying resorcinol as a proven endocrine disruptor for humans

Resorcinol is used in the manufacture of tyres, rubber products, adhesives and industrial resins. It is also used in certain cosmetic and hygiene products (hair dyes, mascara for professional use), as an antioxidant in food products such as shrimp, and as an antiseptic in...

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Environmental health
Published on 02/04/2020 Sewage sludge produced during the COVID-19 epidemic can only be applied to fields after disinfection

More than 70% of the sludge from wastewater treatment plants is used in agriculture to provide the soil with organic matter and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus.SARS-CoV-2 viral particles have been detected in the faeces of some patients. Although the World Health...

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Environmental health
Published on 02/04/2020 COVID-19: beware of poisoning linked to disinfection and other risk situations

In the context of the COVID-19 health crisis, ANSES and the network of French poison control centres are closely monitoring calls made to the centres for reasons related to COVID-19. The purpose is to identify specific risk situations in order to issue recommendations and alert...

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Published on 30/03/2020 COVID-19: preventing exposure to the virus in the workplace

ANSES issued an internal request with a view to providing scientific support to improve prevention of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in the workplace, outside the healthcare sector. This mainly concerns occupational activities in the agri-food sector and its supply chain, sanitation and...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 27/03/2020 COVID-19 - ANSES's recommendations on food, shopping and cleaning

Can farm animals fall ill and infect us?There is no evidence that farm animals, or the foods derived from them, play a role in the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Any transmission via food would therefore only be possible if the food had been contaminated by a patient...

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Published on 26/03/2020 ANSES and coronavirus COVID-19

COVID-19: ANSES takes action to support the healthcare systemFollowing the lead of the French Ministry of Health and the Regional Health Agencies, ANSES has offered the protective equipment and reagents it had available to hospitals near its 16 sites, to help equip healthcare...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 19/03/2020 Get moving at home! Regular physical activity helps improve your health

During this period of lockdown due to the current unprecedented health crisis in the country, it is essential to keep up regular physical activity in your home. Aerobic exercises, muscle strengthening, relaxation: all these forms of daily physical activity can be practised at...

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Published on 19/03/2020 Response to emerging diseases: rethinking global health monitoring

Does the arrival of COVID-19 mean we need to rethink our health monitoring systems? And how can we identify new epidemic warning signs at an early stage? These are the questions currently being addressed by European and North American researchers specialising in emerging...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare
Published on 11/03/2020 COVID-19 cannot be transmitted by either farm animals or domestic animals

Since the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus – responsible for the COVID-19 disease – emerged in China in December 2019, the knowledge acquired has shown that its main route of transmission is human-to-human, through contact between people or inhalation of infectious droplets emitted by...

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Published on 27/02/2020 ADEME and ANSES step up their cooperation to integrate human health concerns into climate change solutions

Arnaud Leroy, CEO of ADEME, and Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, signed a framework agreement this week at the Paris International Agricultural Show. Its aim is to strengthen cooperation between the two public agencies in order to integrate human health issues into their...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 26/02/2020 ANSES and the IFCE strengthen their cooperation with a partnership agreement

Having found common ground through their concerns for equine health, ANSES and the IFCE today signed a partnership agreement at the Paris International Agricultural Show. It consolidates and strengthens the ways in which the two organisations work together in this field, while...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 26/02/2020 ANSES and EnvA sign a scientific cooperation partnership agreement

Christophe Degueurce, Director of EnvA, and Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, today signed a framework partnership agreement at the Paris International Agricultural Show. In doing so, the two organisations are formalising their long-standing cooperation and committing to...

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Occupational health
Published on 26/02/2020 ANSES and the MSA sign a partnership agreement

The Central Fund for the Agricultural Mutual Insurance Scheme (MSA) and ANSES signed a framework partnership agreement today at the Paris International Agricultural Show, reflecting the desire of the two public interest organisations to combine their skills to protect worker...

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Plant health
Published on 24/02/2020 The European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization with ANSES at the Paris International Agricultural Show

Nico Horn, Director General of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO), met with Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, on the Agency's stand at the 2020 Paris International Agricultural Show. For nearly 20 years, ANSES has been participating in EPPO...

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Plant health
Published on 24/02/2020 Pinewood nematode: preventing its introduction and spread in order to protect French pine forests

The pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), a microscopic worm responsible for significant dieback in conifers, poses an imminent threat to French forests of maritime pine. It is currently present in Portugal and some parts of Spain, and could potentially contaminate the...

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Plant health
Published on 24/02/2020 Citrus longhorned beetle: recommendations for eradicating an outbreak

In 2018, an outbreak of citrus longhorned beetle was discovered on maple trees in Royan. This insect pest, which is a hazard to many species of ornamental, forest and fruit trees, has been subject to compulsory European control measures since 2012. Today, ANSES is publishing its...

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Plant health
Published on 22/02/2020 Three questions for Philippe Reignault, Director of Plant Health and Director of the Plant Health Laboratory at ANSES

The health of plants is increasingly threatened. What issues need to be addressed to better protect them?"Pests, especially plant pests, are one of the major contributors to the loss of production and biodiversity worldwide. Diseases and pests are emerging or re-emerging with...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 21/02/2020 When Science meets Art

As part of a novel research study combining biology and art, researchers from ANSES (INRAE-ANSES-EnvA joint research unit for molecular biology and parasitic immunology) and the SaBio research institute in Spain joined forces with several Mexican artists to explore the molecular...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 13/02/2020 Avian influenza outbreak in Eastern Europe: risk assessment for France

Since late December 2019, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses of subtype H5N8 have been identified in domestic and wild birds in Eastern Europe and Germany. ANSES conducted an emergency assessment of the level of risk of transmission of these HPAI viruses by wild...

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Plant health
Published on 10/02/2020 ANSES at the 2020 Paris International Agricultural Show: protecting the health of plants and ecosystems

For this 2020 edition of the Paris International Agricultural Show, ANSES is offering an insider's view of the health of plants and ecosystems. Faced with current and emerging threats related to trade globalisation and the climate emergency, ANSES is mobilising its scientific...

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Environmental health
Published on 07/02/2020 Exposure to lead in outdoor areas

Lead is an element that is toxic to health, especially for young children. As an environmental pollutant, it can contaminate various media including food and airborne dust. In its expert appraisal published today, ANSES concludes that lead-contaminated dust in outdoor public...

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Published on 05/02/2020 ANSES and Inserm sign a scientific cooperation partnership agreement

Gilles Bloch, Chairman and CEO of Inserm, and Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, today signed a framework partnership agreement formalising their long-standing collaboration on major public health issues such as endocrine disruptors, nanomaterials, air pollution, pesticides...

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Plant health
Published on 03/02/2020 ANSES warns of an emerging virus affecting vegetable plants

ANSES is issuing an alert about a new emerging virus threatening tomato, chilli pepper and sweet pepper crops in France. Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is particularly hazardous to susceptible plants. This virus can be transmitted through infected seeds, plants and...

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Environmental health
Published on 26/01/2020 5G deployment in France: ANSES takes action to assess the health risks

The deployment of "5th generation" communication technology promises innovative services based on new infrastructure. These technological developments will change the ways in which the population is exposed and require the adaptation of measurement and assessment methods. As...

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Environmental health
Published on 20/01/2020 ANSES publishes the results of its additional assessment of menstrual cups and tampons

Following its 2018 expert appraisal on the safety of feminine hygiene products, ANSES is now publishing the results of its additional assessment. It confirms the need to provide better information to women and health professionals on the risk of menstrual toxic shock syndrome (...

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Environmental health
Published on 15/01/2020 Disposable nappies: consultation with stakeholders regarding the Europe-wide restriction of chemicals that are harmful to babies' health

ANSES is proposing to restrict chemicals found in disposable nappies, under the European chemicals regulation REACh, in order to better protect babies' health. This proposal aims to prohibit or limit the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins, furans, PCBs...

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Environmental health
Published on 27/12/2019 ANSES in attendance at the 2020 Paris International Agricultural Show

For this 2020 edition of the Paris International Agricultural Show, ANSES is offering an insider's view of plant life and ecosystems.Today, we are facing multiple changes to our environment and lifestyles. ANSES applies its scientific expertise to current challenges, in...

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Environmental health
Published on 26/12/2019 Water beads: hazardous to children in the event of ingestion!

The French authorities are alerting parents and carers to the risk of water-absorbing gel beads being ingested by children, particularly the under-fives. These accidents can have serious and sometimes fatal consequences. Water beads are designed to absorb up to 400 times their...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 20/12/2019 Protecting local residents when plant protection products are applied

One of ANSES's main missions is to protect the public whenever plant protection products are used. The Agency estimates exposure and assesses health risks for workers and local residents as part of its work examining marketing authorisations. One of its priorities is to improve...

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Published on 19/12/2019 Food contamination: ANSES suggests better targeted controls for greater effectiveness

ANSES has conducted an assessment of the surveillance and control scheme for chemical contaminants in food implemented in France between 2010 and 2014. On the basis of a risk assessment, it noted that to a large extent the scheme did address the health issues. Areas for...

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Occupational health
Published on 19/12/2019 Gaining a better understanding of the health risks to waste management workers

The waste management and recycling industry is central to circular economy policies and is growing all the time. The occupational health of professionals in this industry is a real challenge and was examined by ANSES in an initial expert appraisal, whose results are published...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 18/12/2019 Raw data from ANSES's INCA 3 study now available

ANSES is providing all the data from its third national study on the food consumption and dietary habits of the French population – INCA 3, published in 2017 – as Open Data. They can be consulted on the official website "data.gouv.fr". These data provide information on the...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 18/12/2019 ANSES's expert appraisal on the monitoring of drinking water in Hauts-de-France following the fire at the Lubrizol plant

Following the fire of 26 September 2019, the Hauts-de-France Regional Health Agency (ARS) introduced reinforced monitoring of drinking water quality. Fifty groundwater abstraction points and five surface-water intake points used for producing drinking water were targeted in the...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 17/12/2019 National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health: 40 projects selected, 6.5 million euros mobilised for the 2019 calls for research projects

Today, ANSES is publishing the list of projects selected as part of its two 2019 calls for research projects for the National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health, with the first for projects on a general theme, and the second on the theme of "...

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Published on 16/12/2019 ANSES publishes its work programme for 2020

ANSES's work programme sets the course for its actions in all its areas of expertise: food, animal health and welfare, environmental health, plant health and protection, and occupational health. The 2020 programme confirms the orientations and commitments made by the Agency...

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Published on 11/12/2019 Monitoring the nutritional quality of the food supply in France: signature of a new OQALI framework agreement

On Wednesday 11 December, ANSES, INRA and the Ministries responsible for health, consumer affairs and food signed a new framework agreement for the French Food Observatory (OQALI), for the period 2020-2023. This will enable the Observatory to continue and strengthen its missions...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 09/12/2019 ANSES announces the withdrawal of 36 products containing glyphosate

Following the European Union's five-year re-approval of this active substance in 2017, ANSES is reviewing marketing authorisations for products containing glyphosate marketed in France, and has begun a comparative assessment with the available alternatives. Without waiting for...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 09/12/2019 International conference on bee health

ANSES and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) are organising an international scientific conference on Monday 9 December dedicated to bee health and how research can contribute to risk assessment.The objective is to review both agencies' proposals on the assessment of...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 06/12/2019 Decision of the Nice Administrative Court: ANSES withdraws marketing authorisations for two insecticides containing sulfoxaflor

ANSES has noted the decision of the Nice Administrative Court to revoke marketing authorisations for the insecticides "Transform" and "Closer" containing sulfoxaflor, an active substance approved by the European Commission.For these authorisations, which it had issued on 27...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 28/11/2019 Lubrizol: ANSES's recommendations for establishing long-term surveillance of foodstuffs

To assess the risks over the longer term, it is necessary to document dietary exposure to pollutants associated with the fire that could accumulate and migrate via other environmental media such as water, soil and plants. Soil can lead to contamination through direct ingestion...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 28/11/2019 Use of herbicide-tolerant varieties in France

Herbicide-tolerant varieties (HTVs) are crop varieties that have been developed to be tolerant to a specific herbicide. Given their expansion in France over the past ten years, particularly for sunflower and rapeseed crops, and in response to public concerns, ANSES has reviewed...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 25/11/2019 Use of berberine-containing plants in food supplements

Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid found in various plants used in food supplements. These supplements are usually taken to regulate blood glucose and/or cholesterol levels, but no health claims are currently authorised in the European regulations for berberine-containing...

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Animal health and welfare, Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 21/11/2019 ANSES's work in monitoring antimicrobial resistance in animal health

To mark World Antibiotic Awareness Week and European Antibiotic Awareness Day, ANSES is publishing two reports reviewing the situation regarding antimicrobial resistance in animal health in 2018, and is participating in the interministerial symposium on 20 November entitled "...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 20/11/2019 Changes in the use of food additives in processed products

ANSES is today publishing a review of the use of additives in processed foods available on the French market, as part of the OQALI food observatory operated jointly by ANSES and INRA. Using data collected on more than 30,000 products, this study has also revealed changes in the...

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Published on 19/11/2019 A new three-year term for Manuelle Vertot, ANSES's Ethics Officer

Manuelle Vertot, Ethics Officer at ANSES, has been reappointed for a new three-year term by decision of the Director General, Roger Genet. Manuelle Vertot was first appointed Ethics Officer in 2016. The Agency is restating its confidence in her in view of what she has...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 08/11/2019 National Research Programme on Environmental and Occupational Health: calls for research projects issued for 2020

Today, ANSES is issuing its annual calls for research projects as part of the National Research Programme on Environmental and Occupational Health. The 2020 edition of this programme will include two calls for projects with total funding of around 7 million euros: a general one...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 08/11/2019 SDHI update

In this regard, it asked INSERM to consider the data from this publication, along with other recent publications, in the collective expert appraisal that the Institute is currently conducting to update knowledge on the health effects of pesticides.This is important because...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 07/11/2019 ANSES's recommendations on improving the control of microbiological hazards in powdered infant formula

Following the 2017 salmonellosis outbreak associated with the consumption of powdered infant formula, ANSES was asked to assess the hygiene, surveillance and control measures implemented in the manufacturing sector for these products, in order to improve the control of...

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Animal health and welfare, Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 07/11/2019 Interministerial symposium Antibiotic resistance

The monitoring of antimicrobial drug use data and of the development of antimicrobial resistance is an essential tool enabling implementation of a coherent policy to combat antimicrobial resistance. On Wednesday November 20th, in the framework of European Antibiotic Awareness...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 31/10/2019 Beware of inedible gourds!

Ornamental gourds and hybrid garden squash should not be eatenSome cucurbits are toxic and contain cucurbitacins, substances that are highly irritating and bitter. After ingestion, these can rapidly lead to digestive pain, nausea, vomiting and (sometimes bloody) diarrhoea, or...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 29/10/2019 Glyphosate: ANSES reviews the monitoring data

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 28/10/2019 Reinforced plant protection product assessment to safeguard bees

To reduce the exposure of bees and other pollinating insects to plant protection products, ANSES recommended, in its opinion of 23 November 2018, strengthening the national provisions imposing restrictions on product use during periods when crops attract these insects. The...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 24/10/2019 ANSES becomes a European Reference Centre for Animal Welfare

ANSES has been appointed to lead the new European Reference Centre for the welfare of poultry and other small farmed animals, in collaboration with its partner organisations in Spain, Italy and Denmark. This is the second centre devoted to animal welfare in Europe after the...

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Environmental health
Published on 21/10/2019 Exposure to mobile telephones carried close to the body

Testing of exposure to waves emitted by mobile telephones was modified in 2016 to take changes in models and uses into account. Since then, manufacturers have been required to assess exposure under realistic conditions of use, i.e. when the telephone is placed very close to the...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 18/10/2019 ANSES's opinion on the food risks following the fire at the Lubrizol plant

In the days following the fire, animals may have been exposed to soot from the fire, by smoke inhalation and direct deposition of smoke particles on the mucous membranes of the lungs, as well as by consumption of contaminated food, particularly grass from pastures or silage that...

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Occupational health
Published on 18/10/2019 A review of the health risks associated with the activities of firefighters

Every day, firefighters face an array of risk factors, including exposure to the chemicals usually produced by combustion products during fires, and to biological and physical agents. They also face organisational constraints, such as irregular working hours, and psychosocial...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 17/10/2019 ANSES's expert appraisal on the monitoring of drinking water following the fire at the Lubrizol plant

On 26 September 2019, the Normandy Regional Health Agency (ARS) introduced reinforced monitoring of drinking water quality. Priority was given to above-ground drinking water reservoirs located under the smoke plume and near the pollution source, followed by groundwater...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 16/10/2019 Avoid replacing bisphenol A by bisphenol B

The experts developed a novel analytical method based on the structural similarity between bisphenol A (BPA) and BPB, an approach that is designed to be more inclusive than the one currently applied at the regulatory level in Europe. The experts considered the possible effects...

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Food and nutrition, Environmental health
Published on 14/10/2019 ANSES's expert appraisal of tested milk samples following the fire at the Lubrizol plant

In total, ANSES examined the results of 130 milk samples (milk, raw milk, whole milk, tank milk mixtures, mainly from cows and partly from goats) taken over a period between three and eleven days after the fire, from 29 September to 7 October 2019.The contaminants urgently...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 11/10/2019 Event for scientific discussion and reflection

The Vectopole Sud and ANSES join together to present a two-day event for scientific discussion and reflection on: “Innovations for the surveillance and control of vectors and pests”This event will be held at the Agropolis International in Montpellier on the 27th and 28th of...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 10/10/2019 Initial ANSES opinion on the assessment of food risks associated with the industrial fire at the Lubrizol plant

This context led to ANSES being asked to assess the potential food risks associated with the deposition on the ground. The first step involved ensuring that the initial surveillance and sampling measures taken were adequate with regard to agricultural and food production.To...

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Environmental health
Published on 08/10/2019 An update from ANSES and ADEME on scientific advances to improve air quality

On 17 October 2019, ANSES and ADEME are organising a day of scientific meetings devoted to the topic of air quality. This is a major public health issue, whether it concerns indoor or outdoor air. In order to preserve and improve air quality, we need to characterise the sources...

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Environmental health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 07/10/2019 ANSES is publishing the results of the Pesti’home study on the use of pesticides in the home

ANSES organised the Pesti’home study to find out more about how French people use pesticides to protect their homes, gardens and pets. The study provided a comprehensive overview of pesticides used in the home, along with the conditions of use and user profiles. This is the...

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Published on 04/10/2019 ANSES and UPEC consolidate their cooperation

On Thursday 3 October, Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, and Jean-Luc Dubois-Randé, President of UPEC (University of Paris-Est-Créteil Val-de-Marne), signed a framework partnership agreement, strengthening the two organisations' scientific cooperation in key areas of the "...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 01/10/2019 Bovine tuberculosis: ANSES reviews wildlife control measures

For almost 20 years, France has been officially free of bovine tuberculosis, a disease primarily affecting cattle herds. To maintain this status, surveillance and control actions aiming to bring the disease under control have been taken in certain at-risk areas. They include...

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Environmental health
Published on 26/09/2019 Exposure to cadmium: ANSES proposes limit values to better protect consumers and workers

Cadmium: a substance to be monitoredCadmium is a trace metal element that is widespread in the environment in its natural state and as a result of human activity, particularly agriculture and industry. It is readily available for uptake by plants through their roots, by which it...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 25/09/2019 Learn to distinguish horse chestnuts from sweet chestnuts, to avoid poisoning!

In this early autumn period, horse chestnuts, which grow and fall from the horse chestnut or conker tree, are frequently confused with sweet chestnuts, which come from the sweet or Spanish chestnut tree.In a study by ANSES on cases of confusion between plants recorded by French...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 13/09/2019 ANSES's work in protecting local residents when plant protection products are used

One of ANSES's main missions is to protect the public whenever plant protection products are used. The Agency estimates exposure and assesses health risks for workers and local residents as part of its work examining marketing authorisations. One of its priorities is to improve...

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Plant health
Published on 27/08/2019 Plant pests: three new European reference mandates for the ANSES Plant Health Laboratory

Three units of the Plant Health Laboratory (LSV) have been appointed European Union Reference Laboratories (EURL) for plant pests. The scope of the three mandates obtained concerns insects and mites, nematodes, and fungi and oomycota. With these three new European reference...

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Animal health and welfare, Environmental health
Published on 21/08/2019 International ANSES-EFSA Scientific Conference Day

ANSES and EFSA are hosting an International Scientific Conference Day devoted to bee health and to the contribution of risk assessment research to the field. This is the 8th scientific event of this kind to be held on the topic of bee health and it will be co-hosted for the...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 25/07/2019 SDHIs: ANSES provides an update on the work initiated since the publication of its January 2019 opinion

The SDHI class includes 11 fungicidal substances that prevent the development of fungi and moulds affecting crops by blocking succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), an enzyme involved in cellular respiration. In April 2018, in an article published in the press, several scientists warned...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 22/07/2019 ANSES to initiate a call for tenders to examine the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate

Glyphosate is an active substance used in many herbicides. In December 2017, the European Union re-approved its use for a further five years. As part of the national glyphosate withdrawal plan designed to phase out its main uses by the end of 2020, ANSES is carrying out a series...

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Environmental health
Published on 16/07/2019 Air pollution – new insights into ambient air particulate matter and the impact of road traffic

Today, ANSES is publishing the results of its expert appraisal on ambient air particulate matter. Based on a systematic review of the scientific literature, ANSES confirms, with high levels of evidence, the health effects associated with a number of components of ambient air...

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Environmental health
Published on 12/07/2019 TAUL: publication of the initial report by the Expert Committee (CES)

Between 2010 and 2015, grouped births of children with Transverse Agenesis of the Upper Limbs (TAUL) were reported in three French départements: Ain, Loire Atlantique and Morbihan. In answer to questions by the affected families, the Ministries of Health, Ecological Transition...

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Environmental health
Published on 12/07/2019 Scientific Conference - ANSES & ADEME

On 17 October 2019, ANSES and ADEME will join together to host a one-day conference event to present the results of research projects funded by the two institutions on the topic of indoor and outdoor air quality. More specifically, recent scientific advances will be presented...

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Environmental health
Published on 04/07/2019 Endocrine disruptors: Scientific Conferences on current research work and future prospects

On 8 July, ANSES and the French National Research Agency (ANR) will once again join forces to organise a Science Day devoted to research on endocrine disruptors. This new edition will also provide an opportunity to review the scientific advances and challenges at the heart of...

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Plant health
Published on 03/07/2019 Huanglongbing disease: a major threat to citrus crops

Huanglongbing disease (HLB), which is caused by different species of the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter spp. (CL spp.), mainly affects plants of the Rutaceae family and in particular the genus Citrus. These bacteria are transmitted to citrus crops by two insect vectors,...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 01/07/2019 Edible and toxic plants: avoid confusion when picking

Following several reports of severe intoxication, including two deaths, ANSES and the network of poison control centres are drawing attention to the risks of confusing toxic and edible plants. The Agency is calling for greater vigilance and has issued advice on avoiding the risk...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 25/06/2019 Nutrition of children, the elderly and pregnant and breastfeeding women: ANSES warns about excess sugar intake in children and underlines the benefits of physical activity for the elderly

As part of the National Health and Nutrition Programme (PNNS), ANSES is responsible for establishing dietary guidelines for the adult population and specific population groups. These guidelines provide scientific bases for public health policies and recommendations related to...

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Environmental health
Published on 21/06/2019 Health effects associated with exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields

Today, ANSES is publishing a new expert appraisal on the health effects associated with exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields. In view of the data available, the Agency is reiterating its 2010 conclusions on the possible association between exposure to low-frequency...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 19/06/2019 REGUMATE EQUINE, a veterinary medicinal product for horses, should be used with caution

Altrenogest is a synthetic progestogen used as a veterinary medicinal product to facilitate reproduction in the equine and swine sectors. In the equine community, this synthetic hormone is found in the medicinal product REGUMATE EQUINE, which is widely used both by professional...

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Occupational health
Published on 12/06/2019 ANSES recommends restricting persulphates in hair products

ANSES is publishing its expert appraisal work on ammonium, potassium and sodium persulphate substances used mainly in hair bleaching products. The Agency has concluded that the use of persulphates poses health risks to hairdressing professionals and consumers, as these...

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Published on 05/06/2019 Toxicological Risk Assessment of plant protection products workshop

On 13 and 14 March 2018, the Regulated Products Assessment Department (DEPR) of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) hosted a Workshop on Toxicological Risk Assessment of Plant Protection Products.The organising committee for the...

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Published on 04/06/2019 Roger Genet appointed for a new term at the head of ANSES

On 3 June 2019, Roger Genet was reappointed by Presidential Decree for a new three-year term as Director General of ANSES. In May 2016, Roger Genet was appointed to lead ANSES, the French Agency for Food, Environment and Occupational Health & Safety. During his term of...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 04/06/2019 Pinnatoxins: emerging marine biotoxins that should be monitored in shellfish

ANSES is today publishing its expert appraisal on pinnatoxins, a family of emerging marine biotoxins that have been detected in mussels from Mediterranean lagoons. When ingested by mice, these marine biotoxins cause acute neurotoxic effects. ANSES used the available consumption...

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Published on 03/06/2019 Sophie Le Quellec appointed Communication and Institutional Relations Director at ANSES

On 3 June 2019, Sophie Le Quellec was appointed Communication and Institutional Relations Director at ANSES and Head of Cabinet to the Agency's Director General. A specialist in communication issues related to scientific and technical subjects of public interest, Sophie Le...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 28/05/2019 ANSES announces the withdrawal of marketing authorisations for fungicidal plant protection products containing epoxiconazole in France

Epoxiconazole is a fungicidal active substance used on a large amount of the land cultivated in France, mainly to treat the aerial parts of plants such as cereals and beets, in order to control the main fungal diseases of these crops. Each year, about 200 tonnes of epoxiconazole...

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Animal health and welfare, Environmental health, Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 24/05/2019 ANSES in the International Livestock Trade Fair (SPACE 2019)

ANSES will participate to the International Livestock Trade Fair (SPACE) to be held in Rennes on 10-13 September 2019.The Agency will share a stand with the Armor Zoopôle Développement bioscience park and will meet with all those working in the sector (animal husbandry...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 23/05/2019 ANSES's French Agency for Veterinary Medicinal Products inaugurates its new building

The French Agency for Veterinary Medicinal Products (ANMV) inaugurated its new building today, in the presence of Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, Loïg Chesnais-Girard, President of the Brittany Regional Council, Jean-Luc Chenut, President of the Ille-et-Vilaine...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 22/05/2019 Exposure to crystalline silica poses high risks for worker health

ANSES is today publishing the results of its expert appraisal on health risks for workers in France exposed to crystalline silica, a mineral used or present in many different industries. In France, nearly 365,000 workers could potentially be exposed to respirable crystalline...

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Environmental health
Published on 14/05/2019 LEDs: ANSES’s recommendations for limiting exposure to blue light

Against a backdrop of energy-saving policies and the phasing-out of traditional lamps (incandescent and halogen lamps), LEDs have seen strong growth due to their energy-efficient performance. In a few decades, therefore, the population's exposure to blue light has increased...

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Published on 10/05/2019 Caroline Semaille appointed Managing Director General of the Regulated Products Division

Caroline Semaille was appointed Managing Director General of the ANSES Regulated Products Division on 29 April 2019. She succeeds Françoise Weber, who decided to retire. Ms Semaille, a Public Health Hospital Practitioner, will now coordinate the Agency’s various departments...

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Environmental health
Published on 29/04/2019 Skin allergies: restrict chemicals in textiles, leather, fur and hides

In response to several cases of skin allergies linked mainly to textile clothing, ANSES conducted an expert appraisal in June 2018 to identify the chemicals in certain articles that might be responsible. In turn, KEMI carried out an analysis of the best risk management option (...

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Published on 26/04/2019 Scientific Conferences workshop Anses & ANR

On 8 July 2019, ANSES and the ANR will once again join together to host a one-day event to present the results of research projects funded by the two institutions. This second event in the series will focus on endocrine disruptors, and more specifically on the scientific...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 15/04/2019 Food additive E171: ANSES reiterates its recommendations for consumer safety

E171 is a food additive used in many different food products for its colouring and opacifying properties.  It consists of titanium dioxide particles, mainly in nanoparticle form, in varying proportions.In 2017, ANSES published an expert appraisal of a study on the oral toxicity...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 11/04/2019 Monitoring drinking water quality and protecting human health: ANSES proposes a method for identifying relevant pesticide metabolites

Pesticides disperse into the natural environment where they can transform into one or more other compounds called "metabolites". These chemical metabolites can potentially contaminate water resources and even water supplied to consumers. Water quality controls are increasingly...

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Environmental health
Published on 02/04/2019 Titanium dioxide in nanoparticle form: ANSES defines a toxicity reference value (TRV) for chronic inhalation exposure

TiO2 can occur in a wide variety of forms depending on its physico-chemical characteristics, in particular nanoparticle forms with a size of less than 100 nm. Depending on its form, it is used for its ultraviolet-ray absorption properties and whitening qualities in many...

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Published on 01/04/2019 The Normandy Excellence Festival in Caen

From 12 to 14 April 2019 the Normandy Excellence Festival (FÊNO), organised by the Normandy Region, will take place in Caen. This major event aims to promote the region’s know-how and bring its people together around the Norman identity. Teams from the Normandy site of ANSES’s...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 29/03/2019 Certain food supplements for joint pain should be avoided by at-risk populations

In France, the use of dietary supplements containing glucosamine and/or chondroitin sulfate, presented as being able to contribute to joint comfort, has increased significantly. Adverse reactions potentially associated with the consumption of these food supplements have been...

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Environmental health
Published on 19/03/2019 ANSES and University of Rennes 1 strengthen their scientific cooperation dedicated to "One Health"

Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, and David Alis, President of the University of Rennes 1, today signed a scientific framework agreement aimed at strengthening their cooperation on environmental health, focused primarily on the "One Health" concept covering human, animal...

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Published on 19/03/2019 Second European conference on Xylella fastidiosa

The second scientific conference dedicated to the presentation and discussion of the main ongoing research into Xylella fastidiosa will be held in Ajaccio, Corsica, from 29-30 October 2019. A post-conference field visit will be organised on 31 October. Registration and the call...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 15/03/2019 An international scientific conference to provide an update on genomics for food safety

ANSES, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), the National Food Institute of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and the Republic of Korea's National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation (NIFDS) are holding an international conference on the theme...

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Plant health
Published on 12/03/2019 Phytophthora ramorum: monitor its spread and eradicate contaminated sites

First detected in France in the Finistère region in May 2017, the plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum poses a significant risk for many ornamental and forest-growing plants (rhododendrons, vibernum and larch trees). ANSES issues recommendations to monitor the spread of this...

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Published on 26/02/2019 ANSES and CIRAD strengthen their scientific cooperation dedicated to "One Health"

At the Paris International Agricultural Show today, Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, and Michel Eddi, President Managing Director of CIRAD, signed a five-year framework partnership agreement. The two organisations are thus strengthening their numerous existing...

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Plant health
Published on 26/02/2019 Giant hogweed: limit its proliferation in order to reduce risks to human health and the environment

Brought to France as an ornamental plant species at the end of the 19th century, giant hogweed gradually colonised certain environments to the detriment of the local flora. Giant hogweed is a plant belonging to the carrot family (Umbelliferae) which can reach up to 4 meters in...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 21/02/2019 "Alternative" anti-scale processes: ANSES's recommendations

Today ANSES is publishing its opinion and report on so-called alternative anti-scale (Alt-AS) processes in drinking water distribution systems. The Agency stresses first of all that Alt-AS manufacturers and distributors have a responsibility to provide evidence of the safety and...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 15/02/2019 Food allergies: improve information to prevent risks

With the constant changes in eating habits and the marketing of novel foods, food allergies continue to be a public health concern.  As a result of its expert assessment work, ANSES found that there was a lack of data on the prevalence of food allergies in France. The Agency...

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Published on 15/02/2019 ANSES at the Paris International Agricultural Show 2019

Water is essential for life and for maintaining ecosystems, but can also be a source of exposure to various contaminants that may be harmful to health and biodiversity. ANSES draws on several scientific disciplines to improve our knowledge of micro-organisms and contaminants in...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 08/02/2019 Bee protection: ANSES makes recommendations to strengthen the regulatory framework

As part of the Government's action plan on plant protection products and reduced dependence on pesticides in agriculture, ANSES is today publishing the results of its expert appraisal and its recommendations to strengthen the regulatory framework for the protection of bees and...

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Environmental health
Published on 23/01/2019 ANSES recommends improving baby diaper safety

Today, ANSES published its assessment of the risks of chemicals found in baby diapers. Based on tests conducted on disposable diapers and their use, the Agency’s assessment highlighted several chemicals for which safety threshold values were exceeded. With regard to the possible...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 17/01/2019 Ruling by the French administrative court of Lyon: ANSES contests any error of assessment

ANSES has examined the ruling of 15 January 2019 by the French administrative court of Lyon overriding the marketing authorisation decision for Roundup Pro 360.It should be noted that, in order to protect human and environmental health, ANSES is responsible for implementing...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 15/01/2019 Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicides: ANSES presents the results of its expert appraisal

Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs) are active substances used in fungicidal products to control certain fungi and moulds affecting crops. SDHIs prevent their development by blocking an enzyme involved in cell respiration: succinate dehydrogenase (SDH). Eleven active...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 15/01/2019 Seminar on botulism, 28 and 29 March 2019

Botulism is a neuroparalytic disease caused by the action of the botulinum toxin, produced mainly by Clostridium botulinum. The disease affects both humans and animals and is included in List B of zoonotic agents and zoonoses. Human botulism is rare but very serious, while...

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Published on 21/12/2018 National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health: 43 projects selected and €7.4 million mobilised for the 2018 calls for projects

Today, ANSES is publishing the list of projects selected as part of its two 2018 calls for research projects for the National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health: the first for projects on a general theme, and the second on the theme of "radiofrequencies...

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Environmental health
Published on 20/12/2018 Button batteries: prevent their ingestion by young children and adopt the right reflexes in the event of an accident

In view of the numerous cases of very young children(usually under the age of 6) ingesting button batteries, with serious and sometimes fatal consequences, the health authorities are once again alerting parents, carers and health professionals to this little-known health risk...

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Plant health
Published on 19/12/2018 The red palm weevil: combating the loss of palm trees on the Mediterranean coast

The palm weevil is one of the most damaging insect pests of palm trees, and is a threat to plant biodiversity in many countries. This insect has spread rapidly along the Mediterranean coast in the last ten years or more, and is classified as a regulated quarantine pest and a...

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Occupational health
Published on 17/12/2018 Occupational health: aiming to take better account of multiple exposure

Workers can potentially be exposed to numerous health risk factors through their occupations. The question of multiple exposure is a major challenge for all those active in the field of occupational health, safety and prevention. As part of the 2016-2020 National Occupational...

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Environmental health
Published on 14/12/2018 Preparation and handling of slime: the health authorities call for continued vigilance

ANSES, the DGS and the DGCCRF are reiterating the risks associated with preparing and handling "slime", a sticky and elastic putty for kneading that is very popular with children and adolescents. The repeated and prolonged handling of this putty can cause skin irritations and...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 29/11/2018 Glyphosate: ANSES launches a comparative assessment with the available alternatives

Following the five-year re-approval of this active substance at European level in December 2017, ANSES is reassessing marketing authorisations for products containing glyphosate. For products for which an application for authorisation or re-authorisation has been submitted, the...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare
Published on 29/11/2018 ANSES celebrates the 60th anniversary of its laboratory in Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort: “One Health, One Welfare”

ANSES’s Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort laboratory is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its establishment in Ploufragan in Western France, the most important French livestock region. On this occasion, the laboratory will be reviewing the highlights of its history and the major...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare, Plant health
Published on 29/11/2018 ANSES and CEA join forces to strengthen technological innovation in order to safeguard health

During the symposium organised to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the creation of the ANSES Laboratory in Ploufragan (Côtes d'Armor), on Thursday 29 November 2018, Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, and Stéphane Siebert, Director of Technological Research at the CEA,...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 28/11/2018 ANSES provides access to the data from its study on dietary exposure of children under three years of age to chemicals

ANSES is publishing all the data from its Infant Total Diet Study (iTDS). Available as OpenData on the official website data.gouv.fr, this document presents all the data on concentrations of chemical residues or contaminants in the diet of children under three years of age. "...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 22/11/2018 National Research Programme on Environmental and Occupational Health: calls for research projects issued for 2019

ANSES is today issuing its annual calls for research projects as part of the National Research Programme on Environmental and Occupational Health. The 2019 edition of this programme will include two calls for projects with total funding of 8 million euros: a general one on the...

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Published on 05/11/2018 Products containing metam-sodium: ANSES announces the withdrawal of marketing authorisations

Plant protection products containing metam-sodium are used in market gardening and horticulture to disinfect the soil. Following the substance's approval at European level, ANSES reassessed the dossiers and notified the industrial companies concerned of its intention to withdraw...

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Published on 26/10/2018 Joint scientific conference Anses/BfR/DTUFood/NIFDS

Fuelled by cost reduction of sequencing and development at an exceptional pace of algorithmic and calculation resources, the medical, agronomic and food sectors are shaken by the genomic revolution.At the initiative of four national institutions working on food safety and risk...

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Environmental health
Published on 10/10/2018 Sunbeds: ANSES issues a reminder of the proven risk of skin cancer

The health risks associated with exposure to artificial UV radiation from sunbeds have been well established for many years now. ANSES points out that recent data on the subject support previous assessments: there is a proven cancer risk associated with UV radiation from...

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Occupational health
Published on 02/10/2018 "The environment has a real impact on the risk of cancer, although it remains difficult to assess": three questions for Professor Gérard Lasfargues, Managing Director General of the Science for Expertise Division

Despite medical advances, cancer remains the leading cause of death in France.  While active smoking, alcohol consumption and an unbalanced diet continue to be the main causes of cancer mortality, the environment has a real impact on the risk of cancer, although it remains...

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Environmental health
Published on 27/09/2018 Button batteries: ingestion by young children can have serious consequences

Button batteries are found in many products, including remote controls and certain toys. Serious and sometimes fatal accidents related to the ingestion of these button batteries by young children are regularly reported by the poison control centres.Even in the absence of airway...

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Environmental health
Published on 18/09/2018 Synthetic pitches: the expert assessments currently available conclude that the risks to health are negligible

Recycling used tyres in the form of granulates for the production of synthetic floors and coatings is one of the main ways of reusing tyre waste. These synthetic surfaces, which are increasingly used for sports pitches and indoor or outdoor playgrounds, have raised concerns in...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 28/08/2018 ANSES Scientific Conferences event: Research in occupational health

For the first time, ANSES and ANR are organising a one-day event presenting the results of funded research projects in the field of occupational health.This Scientific Conferences event will be held on October 24th. It will be an opportunity to present the scientific...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 24/08/2018 DIM One Health workshop: “Programme and concept, as seen through the human and social sciences”

Dim One Health, in conjunction with the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), is organising a symposium on the “One Health” concept as seen through the human and social sciences. This symposium will be an opportunity to bring up questions regarding the creation of the “...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 07/08/2018 Seaweed consumption: remain vigilant to the risk of excess iodine intake

In a context where seaweed-based products are increasingly being offered to consumers, ANSES assessed the risk of excess iodine intake associated with the consumption of seaweed in foods and food supplements. Its expert appraisal focused on iodine-containing seaweed likely to be...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 03/08/2018 Apricot kernels pose a risk of cyanide poisoning

The kernel is the seed inside the apricot stone. When ingested in large quantities, these kernels expose consumers to the risk of cyanide poisoning. This is because apricot kernels contain a significant amount of amygdalin, a naturally-occurring compound that converts to highly...

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Published on 27/07/2018 Agathe Denéchère appointed Deputy Director General for General Affairs at ANSES

On 23 July 2018, Agathe Denéchère was appointed Deputy Director General for General Affairs at ANSES. A former student of the Ecole Nationale d'Administration, her career is rooted in the field of health and social affairs. Agathe Denéchère will now coordinate ANSES's General...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 25/07/2018 Pollen allergies and food supplements: ANSES reminds consumers of the precautions to be taken

Cases of allergies associated with the consumption of food supplements are regularly reported to ANSES under its nutrivigilance scheme. Recently, severe allergies following the consumption of food supplements containing hive products (royal jelly, propolis) and pollen have been...

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Environmental health
Published on 19/07/2018 Assessment of the safety of feminine hygiene products

Today ANSES is publishing its health risk assessment on the safety of feminine hygiene products. Chemicals have been identified in these products at very low concentrations not exceeding health thresholds. The expert appraisal did not reveal any risk associated with these...

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Environmental health
Published on 18/07/2018 "Anti-pollution" masks: not enough data to demonstrate a health benefit and justify recommending their use

In a context where prevention of ambient air pollution is a real public health issue, questions are regularly asked about the value of recommending that the population wear personal protective equipment. This led ANSES to assess the potential health benefits of wearing "anti-...

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Plant health
Published on 12/07/2018 Plant health and citizen science: ANSES takes part in an operation to detect giant ragweed

ANSES is taking part in a citizen observation mission targeting the giant ragweed plant (Ambrosia trifida) in partnership with the Tela Botanica Association and the Ragweed Observatory. Ambrosia trifidais an invasive alien species posing a threat to health and agriculture,...

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Animal health and welfare, Environmental health, Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 10/07/2018 ANSES Scientific Conferences: Antimicrobial resistance in animal health and the environment

Every year, to mark European Antibiotic Awareness Day, ANSES holds its annual symposium on this topic, through its Scientific Conferences. This event is fully in line with the implementation of the interministerial roadmap adopted on 18 November 2016, which aims to strengthen...

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Animal health and welfare, Environmental health, Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 09/07/2018 ANSES in the International Livestock Trade Fair 2018 (SPACE 2018)

ANSES will participate to the International Livestock Trade Fair (SPACE) to be held in Rennes on 11-14 September 2018. Once again, the Agency will share a stand with the Armor Zoopôle Développement bioscience park and will meet with all those working in the sector (animal...

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Environmental health
Published on 04/07/2018 Footwear and textile clothing: consumers need better protection from the risks of skin allergies and irritation

In response to cases of skin allergies and irritation related to clothing and/or shoes reported to the health authorities, the Ministries of Health and the Economy asked ANSES to identify the skin irritant or sensitising chemicals, regulated or non-regulated, liable to be found...

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Animal health and welfare, Environmental health
Published on 29/06/2018 ANSES Scientific Conferences - Bee health

For the seventh consecutive year, ANSES's Sophia Antipolis Laboratory, the European Union Reference Laboratory (EURL) for bee health, is organising its day of meetings devoted to bee health.The purpose of this conference, which is open to a broad audience, is to review recent...

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Environmental health
Published on 28/06/2018 Ambient air quality: ANSES recommends the surveillance of 1,3-butadiene and the enhanced monitoring of ultrafine particles (UFPs) and carbon black

The European monitoring strategy for air quality relies heavily on quality standards for a number of pollutants. Advances in knowledge on the toxicity of substances and their emissions in the atmosphere have shown that certain pollutants that may have an impact on human health...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 28/06/2018 ANSES Scientific Conferences : PNREST and "Plan Cancer"

For the first time, ANSES's next Scientific Conferences, presenting work conducted as part of the National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health (PNR EST), will be held in partnership with the National Cancer Institute (INCa) and the Multi-Agency Thematic...

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Environmental health
Published on 25/06/2018 Launch of the national exploratory measurement campaign for pesticide residues in air

ANSES, INERIS and the network of approved air quality monitoring associations (AASQAs) coordinated by ATMO France are today launching a campaign to measure pesticide residues in air. This first national campaign aims to improve knowledge of the pesticides found in ambient air...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 20/06/2018 Signature of the framework agreement for the ESA Platform: strengthening epidemiological surveillance in animal health

The signing of the new framework agreement for the Epidemiological Surveillance Platform for Animal Health (ESA Platform) on 20 June 2018 by the Director General for Food in the presence of Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, and eight other members, signals a new departure...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 14/06/2018 ANSES consolidates its presence in Boulogne-sur-Mer!

Centrally located in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, the Laboratory for Food Safety's site specialising in fishery and aquaculture products is expanding! This extension, financed jointly by the Hauts-de-France Region and the local community, underlines ANSES's scientific...

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Plant health
Published on 12/06/2018 Symposium: Preventing and curing infectious diseases according to the One Health concept

ANSES is partnering with INRA to organise a symposium entitled "Preventing and curing infectious diseases according to the One Health concept", which will be held at the Lycée Descartes in Tours on 21 June 2018.This event aims to bring together all the players in human, animal...

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Published on 12/06/2018 Inauguration of a new wing of the ANSES Laboratory for Food Safety at the Boulogne-sur-Mer site

Centrally located in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, this branch of the ANSES Laboratory for Food Safety – which specialises in fishery and aquaculture products – is expanding! The new extension, co-funded with the support of the Hauts-de-France Regional Council and the Boulogne-...

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Plant health
Published on 06/06/2018 Philippe Reignault appointed Director of the Plant Health Laboratory and Director of Plant Health at ANSES

On 4 June, Philippe Reignault was appointed Director of the ANSES Plant Health Laboratory and will also take over from Charles Manceau as Director of Plant Health, with effect from July. Professor of Plant Biology and Diseases at the Littoral Côte d'Opale University since 2010...

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Occupational health
Published on 06/06/2018 National Network for the Monitoring and Prevention of Occupational Diseases: new data published on cancers of occupational origin

At the 35th French occupational medicine and health congress (CNMST) held in Marseille from 5 to 8 June 2018, ANSES presented for the very first time data on cancers of occupational origin collected by the National Network for Monitoring and Prevention of Occupational Diseases (...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 30/05/2018 Risks and benefits of plant protection products containing neonicotinoids compared with their alternatives

In its Article 125, the Act of 8 August 2016 "for the restoration of biodiversity, nature and landscapes" provides for a ban on the use of plant protection products containing active substances from the neonicotinoid class and seeds treated with these products, with effect from...

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Published on 25/05/2018 Nosocomial infections can also be caused by the Bacillus cereus bacterium

While Bacillus cereus is well known as a source of food infections, researchers from INRA and ANSES, working with doctors at nine French hospitals[1] including those in the Paris Public Hospital System (AP-HP), have demonstrated for the first time that this bacterium is also...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare, Plant health
Published on 24/05/2018 Three questions for Gilles Salvat, ANSES Managing Director General for Research and Reference

As Reference Delegation Day is held at ANSES, bringing together representatives of national and European reference laboratories, Gilles Salvat, Managing Director General for Research and Reference, gives us an overview of this essential part of ANSES's work. What do you mean by...

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Environmental health
Published on 04/05/2018 Slime: a very popular toy putty that is not without risk

ANSES and the DGCCRF are alerting consumers to the risks associated with making and handling "slime". Slime, a sticky and elastic putty for kneading, is currently very popular with children and adolescents. It is commercially available in ready-to-use form or in kits. It can...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 27/04/2018 ANSES assesses the efficacy and safety of alternatives to antibiotics in animal husbandry and considers the need for a specific status for these products

Today, the Agency is publishing an inventory of alternatives to antibiotics aimed at reducing their use in animal husbandry and based on an original method for evaluating the diverse scientific publications in the field. In its report, ANSES identifies numerous products and...

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Animal health and welfare, Plant health
Published on 26/04/2018 2018 International ISESSAH-InnovSur convention - Montpellier

ANSES will participate in the 2018 International ISESSAH-InnovSur convention which will be held in Montpellier from 14 to 18 May, and we are actively involved in the organisation of the 2018 Innovsur forum from 16 to 18 May. The aim of this forum is to review the needs of the...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 25/04/2018 ANSES proposes a definition of animal welfare and sets the foundation for its research and expert appraisal work

The welfare of animals who are dependent on humans – farm animals, pets, animals used for scientific purposes and zoo animals – is becoming increasingly important in our society. Animal welfare, which is a fundamental topic for ANSES, is at the crossroads of numerous...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 24/04/2018 Viruses in food: a new national reference mandate for ANSES's Laboratory for Food Safety

ANSES's Laboratory for Food Safety in Maisons-Alfort has just been appointed National Reference Laboratory for the detection of "foodborne viruses in foodstuffs of animal origin excluding shellfish". This new mandate, which is a major step forward in strengthening public health...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 23/04/2018 ANSES restricts the use of products containing creosote

ANSES has examined several marketing authorisation applications for products containing creosote, a biocidal product currently used to treat and prolong the life of railway sleepers, telephone and electricity posts, fences and enclosures (in agricultural, equestrian or roadside...

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Occupational health
Published on 19/04/2018 Effects of climate change in the workplace: increased occupational risks and a need for action to be taken in the world of work

Climate change is a reality on which there is broad consensus in the scientific community. Because of the inertia of the climate system, changes to the climate related to human activities will continue for many years, regardless of any measures taken today. Combating climate...

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Plant health
Published on 18/04/2018 The impact of global change on the emergence of plant diseases and pests in Europe

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), in collaboration with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO), is organising a conference on 23-24 April 2018 in Paris...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 18/04/2018 Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicides used in agriculture: ANSES sets up a dedicated expert group

In an article published recently in the press, several scientists drew attention to the potential health risks of using succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicides in agriculture. This led ANSES to call on its experts to consider all the available scientific data on this...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 11/04/2018 ANSES recommends that certain populations avoid the consumption of food supplements containing melatonin

In France, melatonin is used in medicinal products, extemporaneous preparations and food supplements. Melatonin is a hormone secreted naturally during the night. One of its physiological functions is to promote sleep. In addition to its effects on the biological clock, melatonin...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 06/04/2018 ANSES launches a database of more than 500 toxicity reference values

Since 2004, the Agency has been working on a national programme for toxicity reference values (TRVs). TRVs are biological indicators used to qualify or quantify, on a scientific basis, a risk to human health associated with exposure to a chemical substance. They are useful for...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 28/03/2018 Foot-and-mouth disease: a new international reference mandate for ANSES

Through its Maisons-Alfort Laboratory for Animal Health, ANSES has just been appointed Reference Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) for foot-and-mouth disease and vesicular diseases. This new mandate expands the reference activities of...

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Environmental health
Published on 27/03/2018 Hypersensitivity to electromagnetic waves: research efforts should be scaled up and suitable care provided for the people concerned

Today the Agency is publishing the results of its expert appraisal on hypersensitivity to electromagnetic waves. This work drew on all the available scientific literature, as well as on numerous hearings with hospital and general practitioners, researchers, associations, and the...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 23/03/2018 Consumption of wild game: action needed to reduce exposure to chemical contaminants, and to lead in particular

Today the Agency is publishing the results of its expert appraisal on the health risks associated with the consumption of wild game and the environmental chemical contaminants (dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls - PCBs, cadmium and lead) found in both wild and farmed game. While...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 05/03/2018 Neonicotinoids: ANSES publishes its second progress report on the alternatives and the conclusions of its expert appraisal work on the impact of these active substances on human health

Under the Act "for the restoration of biodiversity, nature and landscapes", ANSES undertook work to assess chemical and non-chemical alternatives to the use of plant protection preparations containing neonicotinoids, for which the final report will be published in the second...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare, Plant health
Published on 01/03/2018 ANSES and INRA renew their partnership for five more years

In the presence of Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy and Finance, Stéphane Travert, Minister of Agriculture and Food, and Brune Poirson, Secretary of State to the Minister for Ecological and Inclusive Transition, Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, and Philippe Mauguin...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 01/03/2018 ANSES and GDS France renew their cooperation for another three years

Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, and Michel Combes, President of the French Federation of Health Protection Groups (GDS France), today signed a framework partnership agreement designed to strengthen the analytical reference scheme for Category 2 and 3 animal health...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare
Published on 28/02/2018 ANSES and IFREMER strengthen their cooperation regarding contaminants in fishery products and the overall health of fish and molluscs

Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, and François Jacq, CEO of the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER), have today signed a framework partnership agreement for a five-year period. This will enable the two agencies to reinforce their cooperation on...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 26/02/2018 Wildlife surveillance: ANSES and the ONCFS consolidate their partnership

On 26 February 2018, Roger Genet and Olivier Thibault, respectively Directors General of ANSES and the National Office for Hunting and Wildlife (ONCFS), signed the third framework agreement for the partnership between the two institutions. The renewal of their collaboration...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 26/02/2018 ANSES's proposed classification for phosphine submitted for public consultation

ANSES has submitted a proposal to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) for phosphine to be classified for its toxicity following acute inhalation exposure (Category 1). It was submitted for public consultation on the ECHA website on 12 February 2018 for a period of 60 days, to...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 23/02/2018 Traces of chemical contaminants in food – three questions for Roger Genet

Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, considers the issue of chemical contaminants in fruit and vegetables, which does not necessarily translate into a risk for the consumer. He explains how the Agency goes about monitoring the presence of pesticide residues in food, assessing...

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Published on 23/02/2018 Matthew Schuler appointed Risk Assessment Director of ANSES

On 1 February 2018, Matthew Schuler was appointed Risk Assessment Director of ANSES. A graduate of the prestigious Ecole des Mines, he had been Strategy Director at the French Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety Institute (IRSN) since September 2011. As ANSES's Risk Assessment...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare
Published on 13/02/2018 ANSES at the 2018 Paris International Agricultural Show: collective expert appraisal devoted to health

Like every year, ANSES will be at the Paris International Agricultural Show (SIA), a key annual event providing the opportunity to meet with its partners and the general public. As an agency responsible for health risk assessment, ANSES participates fully in this event, to...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 13/02/2018 Nicolas Eterradossi appointed Director of the Ploufragan-Plouzané Laboratory

On 5 February 2018, Nicolas Eterradossi was appointed Director of the Ploufragan-Plouzané Laboratory. Nicolas Eterradossi is a veterinary doctor, holder of a university doctorate in microbiology from the Institut Supérieur des Productions Animales (Higher Institute for Livestock...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 09/02/2018 Gilles Salvat appointed ANSES Managing Director General for Research and Reference

Gilles Salvat, currently Director for Animal Health and Welfare at ANSES, has since 1 February 2018 also been responsible for the Research and Reference Division. A veterinary doctor, doctor in microbiology, and inspector general for veterinary public health, Gilles Salvat has...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 02/02/2018 ANSES publishes its first phytopharmacovigilance fact sheets

Today, ANSES is publishing the first in a series of fact sheets summarising the data it collects for each active substance under the phytopharmacovigilance scheme it coordinates. The aim of phytopharmacovigilance is to be able to take swift action on a product's marketing...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 01/02/2018 Launch of the European "One Health" EJP project, coordinated by ANSES

The European Joint Programme (EJP) on "One Health", selected by the European Commission in October, was officially launched this week at a meeting bringing together the project partners, as well as the French Ministries of Health, Agriculture & Food, and Research, the...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 31/01/2018 Foot-and-mouth disease: a new European Union reference mandate for ANSES and CERVA

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) and the Belgian Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (CERVA) have jointly been appointed European Union Reference Laboratory for foot-and-mouth disease.This French-Belgian consortium,...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare, Plant health
Published on 15/01/2018 Health risk assessment: ANSES renews ten of its expert groups

ANSES is today issuing a call for applications in order to renew ten of its independent expert groups in the areas of food, nutrition, animal feed, animal health and welfare, and plant health. Nominations for these groups, open to scientists from a variety of disciplines, must...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare, Occupational health, Environmental health, Veterinary medicine - ANMV, Plant health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 04/01/2018 ANSES at the 2018 Paris International Agricultural Show

Since its creation, ANSES has always fully participated in the Paris International Agricultural Show (SIA).  This year, the Agency will offer several educational workshops, storytelling sessions and interactive quizzes for families to help them understand how science helps...

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Environmental health
Published on 21/12/2017 Pollen and mould in the ambient air of France’s overseas territories: improving our understanding in order to better assess their health impacts

ANSES received a request from the French Ministries of Health and the Environment to report on the state of knowledge concerning the pollen and mould of greatest concern to health in the ambient air of France’s overseas départements and regions, and the principal related health...

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Environmental health, Plant health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 19/12/2017 International conference on “The impact of global change on the emergence of plant diseases and pests in Europe”

Today, the notion of global change does not only apply to the global warming caused by human activities. It now also includes other planet-wide phenomena caused by societal changes and transformations such as the intensification of trade and modifications in production and...

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Food and nutrition, Environmental health
Published on 15/12/2017 Chlordecone in the French Caribbean: certain food procurement methods promote overexposure

Chlordecone was used for many years in the banana plantations of Martinique and Guadeloupe to combat weevils, a serious insect pest for banana crops. This pesticide, which is very persistent and highly bioaccumulative, has been prohibited since 1993. However, its persistence...

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Environmental health
Published on 13/12/2017 Risks of ingestion of button batteries by young children: adopt the right reflexes in the event of an accident

Several cases of poisoning in young children (including one that was serious) resulting from the ingestion of button batteries from luminous fidget spinners have been reported by the French poison control centres. These cases illustrate the importance for parents to prevent...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 30/11/2017 Food supplements containing spirulina: the importance of choosing trustworthy supply channels

Spirulina (a cyanobacterium that is generally offered for sale in the form of a powder) has long been a traditional food consumed in several countries. In France, it is found on the market in the form of a conventional food (alone or as an ingredient) or as a food supplement,...

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Published on 28/11/2017 H2020 One Health EJP Kick-off meeting

The One Health EJP is a EU cofunded project under the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme.The European Joint Programme (EJP) on "One Health", coordinated by ANSES with the participation of 41 partners from 19 Member and Associated States, was approved by the European Commission and...

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Published on 24/11/2017 Marketing authorisations for products containing sulfoxaflor: ANSES notes the decision of the Court of Nice

By an Order issued in summary proceedings, the Court of Nice has ordered the suspension of two marketing authorisations issued by ANSES in September for the products Closer and Transform. The Agency takes note of this Decision. By a decision dated 27 September 2017, ANSES issued...

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Occupational health
Published on 23/11/2017 Professionals working in nail care and decoration: exposure to multiple chemical substances

In 2009, at the request of the Directorate General for Health (DGS), the French Health Products Safety Agency (ANSM) assessed the risk for consumers associated with the use of toluene in cosmetics, particularly in nail varnish, without however taking into account the potential...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 21/11/2017 Drinking water: treatment with orthophosphates reduces the concentration of lead in the water supply but more knowledge is needed about its effects

Today ANSES is publishing the results of an expert appraisal on the treatment of drinking water with orthophosphates to limit lead dissolution. The Agency concludes that treatment with orthophosphates is one possible collective protection measure, but is not in itself sufficient...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 26/10/2017 ANSES withdraws marketing authorisation for Basta F1, a plant protection product containing glufosinate

On 24 October 2017, ANSES withdrew the marketing authorisation for the only plant protection product containing glufosinate authorised in France, Basta F1, marketed by Bayer SAS, as well as the import permits for products containing it. Following a re-examination of the...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare, Environmental health
Published on 24/10/2017 ANSES will coordinate an European Joint Programme on "One Health", a European research programme on foodborne zoonoses

The European Joint Programme (EJP) on "One Health", coordinated by ANSES with the participation of more than 40 partners from 19 Member States, was approved by the European Commission and will start on 1 January 2018. Through its role in the design and implementation of this...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 20/10/2017 Sulfoxaflor: ANSES examines the new data available

By its decision dated 27 September 2017, ANSES issued marketing authorisations for two plant protection products containing the active substance sulfoxaflor, CLOSER and TRANSFORM, marketed by DOW Agroscience SAS, subject to strong restrictions on their conditions of use....

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Environmental health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 19/10/2017 ANSES's recommendations for implementing national surveillance of pesticides in ambient air

For more than 10 years now, the Approved Air Quality Monitoring Associations (AASQAs) have been collecting data on pesticide concentrations in ambient air from different points in the country. Despite the great wealth of data, it remains difficult to estimate exposure to...

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Environmental health
Published on 17/10/2017 Indoor air purifiers: their effectiveness remains to be demonstrated

Today ANSES is publishing the results of its analysis of air purification techniques based on the principles of plasma, catalysis and photocatalysis, ozone generation and ionisation. Over the last few years, equipment has appeared on the market that claims to have indoor air...

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Environmental health
Published on 09/10/2017 ANSES conducts expert appraisals on several chemicals suspected of being endocrine disruptors

Under the terms of the National Endocrine Disruptor Strategy (SNPE), ANSES has published the results of its assessment of five chemical substances suspected of being endocrine disruptors. The Agency has also published its latest work concerning the assessment of the health risks...

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Animal health and welfare, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 02/10/2017 ANSES and the Technical and Scientific Institute for Beekeeping and Pollination sign a partnership agreement as part of the phytopharmacovigilance scheme

ANSES and the Technical and Scientific Institute for Beekeeping and Pollination (ITSAP) have signed a partnership agreement to strengthen their collaboration in the area of phytopharmacovigilance. This three-year agreement will help better identify the adverse effects of plant...

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Published on 21/09/2017 ANSES and the CODA-CERVA have renewed their partnership for three more years

ANSES and the Belgian Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre (CODA-CERVA) have renewed the framework agreement that has linked them since 2009, as well as the agreement concerning scientific collaboration on foot and mouth disease and bluetongue. The two agencies will thus...

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Published on 20/09/2017 New recommendations for improving the working conditions of sewage workers

In June 2016, ANSES published an expert appraisal on the specific exposures and health risks to which sewage workers are subjected, concluding that there are long-term health effects associated with the working conditions in sewers. Today the Agency is presenting additional...

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Environmental health
Published on 14/09/2017 Signature of a memorandum of understanding for the creation of the APIVALE Scientific Interest Group on the exploitation of organic effluent

At the International Livestock Trade Fair (SPACE) on Tuesday 12 September, Inra, Irstea, ANSES, Agrocampus Ouest, the University of Southern Brittany and the University of Rennes 1 signed a memorandum of understanding for the creation of a Scientific Interest Group to be known...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 21/08/2017 Assessment of the risks associated with the consumption of eggs and egg products contaminated with fipronil [updated on 21 August 2017]

ANSES has now published its health risk assessment concerning the ingestion of eggs contaminated with fipronil, the active substance in insecticides and acaricides fraudulently used in holdings in Belgium and the Netherlands. In the light of the available data on the toxicity of...

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Occupational health
Published on 26/07/2017 ANSES publishes new recommendations for occupational exposure limits

Since 2005, ANSES has been responsible for the scientific appraisals required for the establishment of Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) based on health criteria. In the first half of 2017, ANSES published several collective expert appraisal reports for products as part of...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 25/07/2017 Beware of confusion between the medication Lytos (sodium clodronate tetrahydrate) and the food supplement Lithos (potassium and magnesium citrate)

A risk of confusion between the medication Lytos and the food supplement Lithos has been reported when dispensing these products in pharmacies.The French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM) and the French Agency for Food, Environmental and...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 18/07/2017 A smartphone application to prevent Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases

The Signalement-Tique application is available now and can be downloaded free of charge for use with iOS and Android smartphones. With this app, INRA and ANSES, in conjunction with the French Ministry of Health and Solidarity, are recruiting volunteers to participate in research...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 12/07/2017 INCA 3: Changes in consumption habits and patterns, new issues in the areas of food safety and nutrition

On average, French people consume 2.9 kg of food per day, i.e. around 2200 kcal, 50% of which come from beverages. Women generally prefer yoghurts and soft white cheese (fromage blanc), fruit purees, poultry and soups. As for men, they tend to enjoy cheese, meat, delicatessen...

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Environmental health
Published on 21/06/2017 Smart meters: new data do not alter ANSES’s conclusions

Today, ANSES is publishing a new opinion in response to a formal request to assess population exposure to the electromagnetic fields emitted by smart meters, on the basis of new scientific data. In December 2016, in view of the available data, the Agency concluded that there was...

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Published on 16/06/2017 Bisphenol A is recognised by ECHA for its endocrine-disrupting properties, based on a proposal by France

Bisphenol A is a synthetic chemical which has been used for over 50 years, mainly in the plastics industry. ANSES has identified close to sixty business sectors that are potential users of the substance in France.  Studies by ANSES on the uses and health effects of bisphenol A,...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 07/06/2017 Food supplements and pregnancy: ANSES warns against combining multiple sources of vitamins and minerals, in the absence of an identified need

Under the national nutrivigilance scheme, five cases of neonatal hypercalcaemia and two cases of congenital hypothyroidism, all sufficiently documented and likely to be related to the consumption of food supplements for pregnant women, were brought to ANSES's attention. These...

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Environmental health
Published on 23/05/2017 ANSES recommends pursuing efforts to improve ambient air quality

Knowledge of the health and environmental effects of pollution of ambient air by chemicals has been well established for some years now. Since 1996, the Member States of the European Union have been required to implement measures for monitoring, assessing and controlling ambient...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 19/05/2017 ANSES’s European Union Reference Laboratory mandate for Equine Diseases renewed for five years

ANSES has been the European Union Reference Laboratory (EURL) for equine diseases since 2008. The European Union recently decided to renew the mandate for five years, acknowledging the quality of the work performed in ANSES laboratories and the Agency’s commitment to horse...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 11/05/2017 ANSES facilitates the reporting of adverse reactions to plant protection products

The Act on the future of agriculture, food and forestry of 13 October 2014 entrusted ANSES with establishing a phytopharmacovigilance scheme. Its aim is to identify potential adverse reactions to the use of plant protection products affecting human, animal and plant health,...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 09/05/2017 ANSES issues recommendations to reduce foodstuff contamination by mineral oils

Mineral oils (mineral oil hydrocarbons - MOHs) are complex mixtures derived from crude oil consisting of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSHs) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAHs). Because they are found in the inks or adhesives of paper and cardboard food...

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Environmental health
Published on 24/04/2017 Exposure to emissions from Sargassum seaweed washed up on the shore: ANSES reiterates its recommendations and adds to them

In 2015 ANSES was asked to conduct an expert assessment on gaseous fumes emitted by decaying Sargassum seaweed. In March 2016, the Agency recommended implementing measures to protect the general public and workers in charge of collecting, transporting and processing Sargassum...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 13/04/2017 Veterinary pharmacovigilance: ANSES facilitates on-line reporting of adverse effects

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) today launches a new version of its on-line declaration website for veterinary pharmacovigilance. This website was created to collect reports of adverse effects linked to, or potentially...

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Food and nutrition, Environmental health
Published on 12/04/2017 Titanium dioxide nanoparticles in food (additive E171): biological effects need to be confirmed

In September 2016, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published an opinion on the re-evaluation of E171, a food additive made up of titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles, on the basis of a detailed review of the literature data on TiO2 nanoparticles. This opinion concluded...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 11/04/2017 ANSES's proposed classification for granulated copper submitted for public consultation

ANSES has submitted a proposed classification for granulated copper to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in accordance with the European CLP Regulation (on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures). This proposal has been the subject of a public...

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Environmental health
Published on 04/04/2017 Public consultation of ANSES's proposal for classification of diisooctyl phthalate as toxic for reproduction

ANSES has submitted a classification proposal for diisooctyl phthalate as toxic for reproduction, category 1B for fertility and development, to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). This proposal has been open for public consultation on the ECHA website since 14 March 2017, to...

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Environmental health
Published on 04/04/2017 Public consultation of ANSES's proposal for classification of 2-methoxyethyl acrylate

ANSES has submitted a classification proposal for 2-methoxyethyl acrylate to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in line with the CLP regulation (classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances). This proposal has been open for public consultation on the ECHA...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 03/04/2017 ANSES and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reinforce their partnership

During a visit on 17 March 2017 by a delegation from ANSES to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa, Dr. Primal Silva, the Acting Vice-President and Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, signed a Memorandum of Understanding concerning scientific cooperation. Its...

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Environmental health
Published on 03/04/2017 Reinforcement of the partnership between ANSES and the US National Institute of Environnemental Health Sciences

On 22 March 2017, ANSES and the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) signed a ten-year Memorandum of Understanding. In doing so, the two organisations join forces to achieve a common goal: improved understanding and mitigation of the impact of the...

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Environmental health
Published on 30/03/2017 Exposure to low-frequency sound and infrasounds from wind farms: improving information for local residents and monitoring noise exposure

Today ANSES is publishing the results of its assessment of health effects related to low-frequency sounds (20 Hz to 200 Hz) and infrasounds (below 20 Hz) emitted by wind farms. The expert appraisal undertaken by the Agency made it possible, on the one hand, to measure and...

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Plant health
Published on 21/03/2017 ANSES publishes its methodology for the assessment of alternatives to neonicotinoids

In its Article 125, the Act of 8 August 2016 "for the restoration of biodiversity, nature and landscapes" provides for a ban on the use of plant protection products containing active substances from the neonicotinoid class and of seeds treated with these products, with effect...

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Environmental health
Published on 20/03/2017 ANSES recommends revising the regulatory framework for aesthetic devices

Today ANSES is publishing the conclusions of its expert appraisal on the health risks related to the use of devices intended for the performance of aesthetic procedures (hair removal and lipolysis). In light of the effects observed and reported in various clinical studies, ANSES...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 14/03/2017 Update on emerging avian influenza virus H5N8

In early March, 27 European countries declared outbreaks with the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) of the H5N8 or H5Nx highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, responsible for a bird flu epizootic in many of these countries. ANSES is highly involved in surveillance of...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 13/03/2017 ANSES’s rules for the proper use of water filter jugs

Water filter jugs are domestic water treatment devices intended to be used exclusively with drinking water (DW). They are therefore not designed to make non-potable water potable. The improvement of the organoleptic properties of water (chlorine taste in particular) and the...

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Environmental health
Published on 22/02/2017 Use of rainwater for washing laundry in the home: ANSES’s recommendations

Today, the Agency is publishing its opinion on the assessment of the health risks associated with the use of rainwater for washing laundry in the home. The recovery and use of rainwater for domestic purposes have been on the increase over the past few years, with the aim of...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 14/02/2017 Nutrition information programmes: inadequate evidence to substantiate their relevance for public health

ANSES is today publishing its Opinion on the relevance of nutrition information programmes (NIPs) for consumers. The work involved assessing the potential impact of the implementation of such systems on the reduction in the incidence of certain diseases in the entire population...

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Published on 31/01/2017 Professor Isabelle Momas appointed chairwoman of ANSES’s Scientific Board

By decree of the Ministers of the Environment, Health, Labour, Agriculture and Consumer Affairs dated 23 January 2017, Professor Isabelle Momas has just been appointed chairwoman of ANSES's Scientific Board, succeeding Professor Paul Frimat, who chaired the Board from 2010 to...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 24/01/2017 ANSES updates its food consumption guidelines for the French population

The current National Health and Nutrition Programme (PNNS) guidelines focus on different food groups (fruits and vegetables, starches, etc.) and on physical activity, broken down for specific populations (the elderly, children, adolescents, pregnant and breastfeeding women)....

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Published on 19/01/2017 Luc Derepas appointed as Chairman of ANSES's Board of Administrators

By Presidential Decree dated 17 January 2017, Luc Derepas, State Councillor, has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Administrators of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES). He succeeds Professor Didier Houssin, who had been...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 20/12/2016 Food supplements for athletes: risks for health and uncertain benefits

The national nutrivigilance scheme, managed by ANSES, collects reports of adverse effects likely to be related to the consumption of food supplements for athletes. These reports, and the widespread consumption in several sports disciplines of these types of products, which aim...

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Published on 15/12/2016 Smart meters: health risks unlikely

Act No. 2015-992 of 17 August 2015 on the energy transition for green growth authorises the deployment of smart meters throughout France capable of the day-to-day transmission of electricity and gas consumption readings to energy suppliers. Water distribution companies have also...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 13/12/2016 Major update of the CIQUAL table, reference tool for the nutritional composition of foods

ANSES is today publishing the 2016 CIQUAL table, the reference tool for the nutritional composition of foods, available free of charge on the Internet. Many new data have been added. The CIQUAL table now provides a detailed nutritional profile covering 61 different constituents...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 12/12/2016 Renewal of ANSES's ISO 9001 certification

ANSES received ISO 9001 certification in 2013, and it has just been renewed by AFNOR in accordance with the new 2015 version of the standard. This procedure supports the scientific excellence goals of the Agency's expert appraisal work, including responsive action and compliance...

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Published on 09/12/2016 Seven public organisations for research, expert appraisal and risk assessment in the areas of health and the environment commit to promoting openness to society in their work

ANSES, BRGM, IFSTTAR, INERIS, IRSN, IRSTEA andSanté publique France today sign a charter for openness to society. Despite their diversity, these seven public organisations all fulfil a common role in the general interest: assessment of risks in the areas of health and the...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 07/12/2016 The Sophia Antipolis Laboratory: 40 years of research and reference activities

Since its creation, ANSES's Sophia Antipolis Laboratory has established itself as a national and international reference in bee and ruminant health. Indeed, since 1976, it has been awarded five national, European and international reference mandates for bee health and bee...

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Published on 19/10/2016 Manuelle Vertot is appointed as ANSES's ethics officer

Manuelle Vertot, Head of ANSES's Legal Affairs Unit, has been appointed as the Agency's ethics officer, in application of the Decree of 10 June 2016 on the presence of an ethics officer within health authorities and organisations. She takes on this new mission for a three-year...

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Environmental health
Published on 17/10/2016 Substitutes for phthalates in toys: no health risk detected for children under three years of age

Today ANSES publishes the results of its expert assessment on the health risks of oral exposure to several chemicals found in plastic toys and materials likely to be mouthed by infants and children under three years of age. For four of the substances studied which are...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 13/10/2016 Inauguration of iCube, ANSES's new infectious disease research platform for animal health

iCube, ANSES's new infectious disease research facility, is being inaugurated today. Those attending the event include Stéphane Le Foll, Minister of Agriculture, Valérie Pécresse, President of the Ile-de-France regional council, Michel Herbillon, Mayor of Maisons-Alfort and...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 30/09/2016 ANSES scrutinises the diet of children under three years of age

In light of the findings of the present study, the Agency stresses the importance of following up the recommendations of the National Health and Nutrition Programme (PNNS), in particular, not to introduce any foods other than infant formulas before 6 months and, subsequently, to...

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Environmental health
Published on 01/08/2016 Reinforced measures for preventing mould growth in buildings and the impact of mould on human health

In the last several years, increasing attention has been paid to the effects of indoor environment pollution on health. ANSES was asked by the ministries of health and the environment to conduct an expert assessment on the issue of mould growth and the correlated production of...

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Environmental health
Published on 29/07/2016 ANSES issues its conclusions regarding criteria for the identification of endocrine disruptors

On 15 June, the European Commission (EC) published its proposal for criteria for identifying endocrine disruptors (EDs), accompanied by several texts proposing amendments to the regulations in force concerning biocidal products and plant protection products. In this context, the...

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Occupational health
Published on 28/07/2016 Publication of the report on occupational exposure to pesticides: a need for better understanding and a reduction in exposure

In France, there is a large population of people working in agriculture and potentially exposed to pesticides. In 2010, over a million people were working regularly in agriculture, to which should be added several hundred thousand non-permanent workers and tens of thousands of...

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Environmental health
Published on 27/07/2016 ANSES organises a public consultation for its report on electromagnetic hypersensitivity

Today ANSES launches a public consultation of its draft report on electromagnetic hypersensitivity or idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields. Members of the scientific community, physicians and interested stakeholders are invited to provide...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 26/07/2016 ANSES calls for ceasing the use of VELACTIS® and recalling all batches, including from farms

Following several reports of serious adverse effects related to the veterinary drug VELACTIS®, ANSES has suspended the use of this medicine. The Agency has asked veterinarians to no longer prescribe VELACTIS®. A recall of all batches has been initiated and farmers are invited to...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 13/07/2016 Signature of a Memorandum of Understanding between ANSES and the National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation (NIFDS) of the Republic of Korea

During the visit to ANSES headquarters of a NIFDS delegation, the two Directors General, Dr. Yeowon SOHN and Dr. Roger GENET, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 12 July 2016. The signature of the MoU takes place during France-Korea year, 2015-2016, which celebrates...

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Environmental health
Published on 08/07/2016 Exposure of children to radiofrequencies: a call for moderate and supervised use of wireless technologies

ANSES is today publishing an expert appraisal on the exposure of children to radiofrequencies and the potential effects on their health. In its conclusions, the Agency emphasises that children can be more exposed than adults because of their morphological and anatomical features...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 01/07/2016 New missions for ANSES concerning biocidal products

ANSES is today broadening its sphere of competence by taking over management of marketing authorisations (MAs) for biocidal products and responsibility for declarations to the biocidal products inventory (SIMMBAD). The Agency will build on the organisation it set up in July 2015...

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Occupational health
Published on 22/06/2016 ANSES confirms the health risks associated with night work

Today, a large number of workers are affected by so-called "atypical" working hours and rhythms. This particularly concerns shift work, where employees form different teams that take over from each other on a given workstation without ever overlapping, and night work, performed...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 22/06/2016 Long-term health effects associated with working conditions in sewers

While carrying out their professional activity, sewer workers are exposed to many chemical and biological agents present in the air and/or water, by inhalation of gases, vapours or aerosols, by mucocutaneous contact and by ingestion.In 2004, the INRS published the results of a...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 22/06/2016 Withdrawal of plant protection products combining glyphosate and POE-tallowamine from the French market

ANSES is today withdrawing 132 authorisations for products combining the active substance glyphosate with the co-formulant POE-tallowamine, following a re-examination of their marketing authorisations. The Agency had identified an issue of concern regarding the co-formulants in...

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Environmental health
Published on 21/06/2016 Artificial groundwater recharge conceivable under certain conditions

In France, more than 95% of catchment systems for the production of water intended for human consumption use groundwater. With climate change, the increasing frequency and intensity of weather events such as droughts or intense rainfall will affect water resources. This change...

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Environmental health
Published on 13/06/2016 Radiofrequency interference with medical devices: practices should be adapted to each situation

The risk of electromagnetic interference with certain medical devices, generated by mobile telephones, has long been a subject of discussion. The use of mobile telephones in any place and at any time by a majority of the population is common practice, including by health...

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Occupational health
Published on 09/06/2016 ANSES's proposal for titanium dioxide to be classified as carcinogenic by inhalation submitted for public consultation

There are several varieties of titanium dioxide (TiO2). They differ according to their crystalline phase and particle size distribution. For many years, titanium dioxide has been used at the micron scale for the production of pigments. It has also been used in nanoscale powder...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 06/06/2016 ANSES's proposed guidelines on issuing marketing authorisations for biocidal products are submitted for public consultation

On 1 July 2016, ANSES will be given a new mission, currently the responsibility of the Ministry of the Environment: issuing marketing authorisations (MAs) for biocidal products. The Agency has prepared some proposed guidelines on reaching decisions relating to marketing...

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Published on 27/05/2016 Roger Genet appointed Director General of ANSES

Roger Genet has been appointed Director General of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, thereby succeeding Marc Mortureux. As Director General of Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Research since March 2012, and a former...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 20/05/2016 The Maisons-Alfort Laboratory for Animal Health celebrates its 115th anniversary

Created in 1901, the Maisons-Alfort Laboratory for Animal Health, one of the world's oldest laboratories specialising in the study of infectious animal diseases, celebrates its 115th anniversary this year. This event, incorporated into the celebrations to mark the 250th...

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Occupational health
Published on 12/05/2016 ANSES's proposal for methylmercury chloride to be classified as toxic for reproduction, mutagenic and carcinogenic submitted for public consultation

ANSES has submitted a proposal to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) for methylmercury chloride to be classified as toxic to reproduction Category 1A, mutagenic Category 2, carcinogenic Category 2 and for specific target organ toxicity (nervous system, kidney) Category 1. This...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 04/04/2016 Systems for the nutritional classification of foods: comparison of SENS and 5C (based on Rayner's score)

The French Act of 26 January 2016 on the modernisation of the health system provides for optional information, in the form of graphics or symbols placed on packaging, that summarises certain data on nutritional quality, with a view to improving consumer information. Two food...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 14/03/2016 Sargassum seaweed washed up on beaches: immediate measures to be taken to limit the exposure of workers and residents

Since August 2014, successive waves of Sargassum seaweed have been washing up on the  coastlines of the French West Indies and French Guiana. Despite the efforts made to clean it up, this seaweed decomposes in situ. This leads to the production of hydrogen sulphide (H2S), which...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 26/02/2016 More physical exercise and less of a sedentary lifestyle for better health

The National Programme for Nutrition and Health, or PNNS, aims to improve the state of the nation's health by acting on diet and physical activity, which are major determinants of nutrition. ANSES was asked to investigate these issues by the Directorate General for Health, with...

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Environmental health
Published on 26/02/2016 Zika epidemic : ANSES recommendations concerning the use of deltamethrin-impregnated mosquito nets

The World Health Organization recommends certain deltamethrin-impregnated mosquito nets to avoid the transmission of vector-borne diseases spread by mosquitoes. In France, these mosquito nets are not covered by any marketing authorisation, so they cannot be used in compliance...

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Environmental health
Published on 19/02/2016 A public consultation for ANSES's proposal to classify potassium permanganate as a reprotoxic substance

ANSES has submitted a proposal to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) for potassium permanganate to be classified as toxic for reproduction, Category 1B. Since 17 February 2016, this proposal has been the subject of a public consultation on the ECHA website to give all...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 17/02/2016 Exposure to MIT: ANSES recommends that consumers and workers be better informed and protected

Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) is a substance used as a preservative in many commercial mixtures such as detergents, paints and varnishes, and also in mixtures for professional use. It is also found in cosmetic products: its presence must then be mentioned on the packaging. Over...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 12/02/2016 ANSES's Opinion on the carcinogenic nature of glyphosate for humans

Glyphosate is an active substance authorised in Europe and used very widely in France as a herbicide, both by professionals (annual tonnage varying between 5157 tonnes and a little over 7421 tonnes from 2008 to 2014) and by amateur gardeners (annual tonnage varying between 1264...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 26/01/2016 Signature of a memorandum of understanding between ANSES and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

On the occasion of the State visit to India of the President of the French Republic, Mr François Hollande, ANSES and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India signed an agreement to promote exchanges on health risk analysis methodologies and laboratory techniques in the...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 22/01/2016 A new national reference mandate for the Niort Laboratory

The Niort Laboratory, which specialises in diseases in ruminants, now has a new health mission contributing to the certification of French herds: it becomes the reference for detection of bovine hypodermosis (or "warble"). Bovine hypodermosis is a disease with a high economic...

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Environmental health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 13/01/2016 Neonicotinoids and pollinators: ANSES advocates strengthening the conditions of use of these products.

Neonicotinoids are systemic insecticidal substances used in granules, in seed coatings or as a spray. There are currently five active substances in the neonicotinoid family approved at European level. Since the first marketing authorisations were granted for products based on...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 23/12/2015 Improving effectiveness of consumer information and prevention of microbiological risks in food

Each year, around one third of the foodborne disease outbreaks reported in France occur in the family environment. Some of these cases are due to domestic practices (inadequate preservation, insufficient cooking or contaminant transfer). Improvements within certain sectors, as...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 22/12/2015 Resistance to antibiotics: new information concerning colistin

Colistin is an antibiotic used in veterinary medicine, particularly in the livestock sector. In human medicine, because of its toxicity, it is only prescribed for the treatment of severe human infections involving bacteria resistant to all other therapeutic options (including...

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Environmental health
Published on 17/12/2015 What are the health effects on workers of cleavage fragments of quarried minerals?

Cleavage fragments are mineral particles naturally present in rocks used, among other purposes, in public engineering works (road surfacing). Through their chemical composition and their dimensions, some of these can be considered comparable to asbestos fibres. While the effects...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 10/12/2015 Two tools for prioritising animal diseases available online

Control of animal diseases is a major problem for the public authorities. Whether for public health or economic reasons, it is essential to control the main diseases in order to protect both animal and human populations, since certain animal diseases can be transmitted to humans...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare
Published on 27/11/2015 Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, the President of Mongolia, visits ANSES

As part of his official visit to France, the President of Mongolia, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, travelled to Maisons-Alfort to visit the Alfort National Veterinary School (ENVA) and ANSES. He was accompanied by Marc Mortureux, Director General of ANSES, and had the opportunity to...

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Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 19/11/2015 Extension of the technical Memorandum of Understanding between ANSES and the Chinese Institute of Veterinary Drug Control (IVDC)

On November 18 2015, Jean-Pierre Orand, Director of the French Agency for Veterinary Medicinal Products (ANMV), a part of ANSES, and Xuepeng Cai, Director General of the Institute of Veterinary Drug Control (IVDC) of the People's Republic of China, signed an extension of the...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 12/11/2015 Glyphosate: publication of the results of the European assessment

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is today publishing the conclusions of its assessment as part of the procedure to renew the ten-year approval granted to the active substance glyphosate at European level. On the basis of a thorough study by the German risk assessment...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare, Environmental health, Plant health
Published on 04/11/2015 New Memorandum of Understanding signed between ANSES and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Marc Mortureux, Director General of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) and Li Jiayang, President of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding strengthening their cooperation...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 26/10/2015 Red meat, processed meat and cancer: an update on the new classification by the IARC

In a press release issued today, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified the consumption of red meat (beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, horse and goat) as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A) and that of processed meat (after salting, curing,...

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Environmental health
Published on 22/10/2015 To prevent the risk of domestic fires in France, alternative measures should be used rather than treating upholstered furniture with flame-retardants

Each year, domestic fires cause a large number of victims. The use of flame retardants (FRs) in domestic upholstered furniture to reduce the risk of fires is the subject of much debate. The discussions focus on the one hand on their effectiveness against the risk of fire, in...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 05/10/2015 ANSES signs a scientific cooperation agreement with its Japanese counterpart in the field of food safety

As part of French Prime Minister Manuel Valls' official visit to Japan, Marc Mortureux, Director General of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), and Dr. Hiroshi Satoh, Chairperson of the Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ),...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 23/09/2015 Françoise Weber is appointed as ANSES's Deputy Director General for Regulated Products

In the context of its new activities for the market authorisation of plant protection products, fertilisers and growing media and the monitoring of their impact, ANSES is adding a new member to its General Directorate with the appointment of Françoise Weber as the Deputy...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 15/09/2015 Bee health: impact of co-exposure by colonies to pesticides and infectious agents

The results of the expert assessment indicate that a large number of infectious and parasitic agents affect bee colonies, as well as numerous xenobiotic residues (insecticides, fungicides and acaricides) found in bee-keeping matrices, and a wide range of stress factors to which...

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Environmental health
Published on 15/09/2015 Indoor air quality: ANSES provides support for the labelling of furnishing products

Air quality has been a subject of concern for many years and has now become a major public health issue. After major studies on outdoor air, ANSES has become highly involved in the quality of indoor air as well. Among the risks linked to pollutants in these environments,...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 10/09/2015 Air pollution in underground railway areas and health risks for workers

The contextSince the early 2000s, air quality measurements have been taken in underground railway areas (RER and metro stations in Paris, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse) which have shown concentrations of PM10 particles that are much higher than those in outdoor air....

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Food and nutrition
Published on 22/07/2015 No significant difference in the nutritional composition between best-value, own-brand and national-brand products

OQALI, jointly managed by ANSES and INRA, collects the nutritional information found on the packaging of processed foods. With over 35 000 items listed, almost all of the food industry sectors are now covered. Several reports have been published today, including a study...

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Food and nutrition, Environmental health
Published on 15/07/2015 Ketoprofen and ibuprofen: no health risk due to their presence in water for human consumption

The presence of drug residues in water has been a key subject for both the health authorities and the scientific community for a number of years. ANSES has been working on this topic since 2006, and in 2013 it proposed a general method for assessing the health risks of drug...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 15/07/2015 ANSES and the Nord-Pas de Calais regional council sign a memorandum of cooperation

For the Fête de la Mer ("Sea Days Celebration"), ANSES and the Nord-Pas de Calais regional council signed a memorandum of cooperation on 10 July 2015 before the Mayor of Boulogne-sur-Mer, also a member of the French Parliament. The aim of this memorandum is to pool resources to...

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Plant health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 01/07/2015 New missions for ANSES relating to plant protection products, fertilisers and growing media

Since 2010, ANSES has been carrying out its risk assessment, reference and research missions in the areas of human, animal and plant health guided by two essential principles: rigour and independence of its scientific expertise; transparency and openness, respecting the role of...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 17/06/2015 ANSES is appointed OIE reference laboratory for foot and mouth disease

On 3 June, ANSES was appointed reference laboratory of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) for foot and mouth disease, a major disease that, due to the direct losses it can engender, requires increased vigilance by health authorities. OIE reference laboratories are...

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Environmental health
Published on 09/06/2015 Exposure of children to radiofrequency waves: ANSES launches a public consultation

Today ANSES launches a public consultation of its pre-final report on the assessment of health risks for children associated with exposure to radiofrequency waves. Members of the scientific community and interested stakeholders are invited to provide their comments on the report...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 02/06/2015 Nutritional labelling: ANSES assesses the feasibility of implementing Rayner's score

At the request of the Minister of social affairs and health, Professor Serge Hercberg submitted a report in January 2014 that recommends France-wide implementation of a nutritional information programme based on the Rayner's score system developed for the UK's Food Standards...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 12/05/2015 Public consultation of 12 May to 5 June on guideline proposals for the issuing by ANSES of marketing authorisations for plant protection products, fertilisers and growing media, and additives

In the context of the French law on the future of agriculture, food and forestry of 13 October 2014, ANSES will soon be taking on new responsibilities which were formerly performed by the Ministry of Agriculture, namely the issuing of marketing authorisations (MAs) for plant...

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Food and nutrition, Environmental health
Published on 29/04/2015 Recycling of greywater in households: a practice in need of regulation

In a sustainable development context which aims to preserve water resources and save water in general, the recycling of greywater is a topic that often comes up. The recycling of treated greywater, which involves the collection, treatment and reuse of water from showers,...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 09/04/2015 Insects as food: a review of potential hazards and research needs

The consumption of insects as food, also known as entomophagy, is a widespread practice in many parts of the world (Africa, Asia, Latin America), where it is sometimes an integral part of traditional eating habits. To meet the challenge of feeding the planet in 2030, the United...

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Environmental health
Published on 01/04/2015 A website dedicated to EU work on safety threshold values for chemical emissions from consumer goods

Construction materials, furniture and decoration products can be sources of indoor pollution due to the potentially harmful chemicals they sometimes release.  Several European countries, including France, have drafted protocols and lowest concentrations of interest (LCIs) in...

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Occupational health
Published on 19/03/2015 ECHA launches a public consultation on substitution of the active biocidal substance PHMB

On 9 February 2015, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) launched a public consultation on its web site regarding substitution of the active biocidal substance PHMB, used mainly as a disinfectant and preservative. This consultation follows on from the assessment conducted by...

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Occupational health
Published on 17/03/2015 ANSES and INRS strengthen their partnership with a four-year framework agreement

On 4 March 2015, The French Agency for Food, Occupational and Environmental Health & Safety (ANSES) and the French Institute for Research and Security (INRS) signed a partnership agreement which strengthens the ties they have established over several years for the assessment...

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Environmental health
Published on 10/03/2015 Exposure to silver nanoparticles: update of knowledge

Silver nanoparticles are used in various industrial applications, in sectors such as food (additives, food packaging, internal linings of refrigerators), textiles (clothing and bedding) and cosmetic and hygiene products (toothbrushes, hair straighteners, disinfectant sprays, etc...

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Plant health
Published on 27/02/2015 ANSES and FREDON France sign a framework cooperation agreement

On 26 February 2015, Marc Mortureux, Director General of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) and Jean-Paul Dalies, President of FREDON France (National Federation for control of harmful organisms) have signed a framework...

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Published on 26/02/2015 Creation of a training course in toxicology and ecotoxicology: Metatox

ANSES and INERIS today have signed a cooperation agreement with AgroParisTech, at the International Agricultural Show in Paris, to set up a new training module for engineering students. Under the agreement, the three agencies will train engineers to understand current...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 25/02/2015 Food packaging: reheating at exceedingly high temperatures increases the risk of substance migration

Changing dietary behaviour and consumption patterns have prompted industry to offer innovative solutions in the field of food packaging, in particular linked with nomadic lifestyles, the convenience of packaging or its environmental impact. In the framework of a research &...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 11/02/2015 Drafting guides to good hygiene practice: new tools for professionals available on-line

Guides to good hygiene practice (GGHP) and the application of HACCP (1) principles are drafted to help agrifood professionals control the safety of the products they manufacture and to help them comply with regulatory obligations. These reference documents are written by the...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 03/02/2015 ANSES and its Chinese counterpart sign a cooperation agreement to promote convergence in food safety standards and monitoring methods

In the framework of French Prime Minister Manuel Valls's official visit to China, ANSES Director General Marc Mortureux signed a cooperation agreement with the Agency's Chinese counterpart, the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA). The cooperation...

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Environmental health
Published on 29/01/2015 ANSES launches its Pesti’home study of domestic pesticide use in Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion Island

On 6 February 2015, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) will launch its Pesti'home study, conducted by the  French Observatory for Pesticide Residues (ORP), in Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion Island. The aim of this study,...

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Environmental health
Published on 21/01/2015 Bisphenol A: EFSA recommends lowering the Total Daily Intake (TDI) while considering that current exposure levels are without risk for human health

In 2014, following its large-scale study, EFSA submitted for consultation an interim report on the health risks of bisphenol A (BPA). ANSES contributed to the consultation by emphasising the extensive work conducted by the European authority while pointing out certain...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 09/01/2015 No nutritional value found for intense sweeteners in the human diet

Aspartame, stevia extracts, sucralose and acesulfame K... Intense sweeteners are a group of calorie-free food additives with a very high sweetening power. While the safety of intense sweetener use has regularly undergone in-depth assessment, this ANSES assessment is the first...

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Environmental health
Published on 06/11/2014 3D technologies and eyesight: use not recommended for children under the age of six, use in moderation for those under the age of 13

In view of the rapid development of new stereoscopic audiovisual technologies in 3D (3Ds, commonly referred to as 3D), ANSES issued an internal request to assess the potential health risks related to the use of these technologies, especially on human eyesight. In the study...

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Published on 04/11/2014 Antimicrobials for veterinary use: lower levels of use and resistance are confirmed, but efforts must continue

Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health issue, for both human and veterinary medicine. In France, many measures have been taken to promote the rational use of antimicrobials. For instance, in 1999, the French Agency for Veterinary Medicinal Products (ANSES-ANMV) began...

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Published on 24/10/2014 Personal protective equipment for applicators of plant protection products: ANSES's findings and recommendations

As part of the process of issuing marketing authorisation for plant protection products (Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009), ANSES systematically assesses the risk associated with the use of these products. According to the general principles of the French Labour Code, the priority...

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Occupational health
Published on 15/10/2014 Hyperbaric occupational activities: new practices to improve safety require special regulations

Workers who perform their activities under hyperbaric conditions (pressure higher than the ambient atmospheric pressure, i.e. > 100 hPa), may do so immersed in water (divers, scientists, military personnel, rescue teams, etc.) or without immersion (medical staff, tunnel...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 24/09/2014 ANSES food consumption data made available as open data

In 2009, ANSES published a full report on the food consumption data obtained from INCA 2, the second phase of the national food consumption survey it conducts every seven years. Today, it makes available all of the data it has obtained from this study as open data. Directly...

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Food and nutrition, Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 01/09/2014 France's proposal on the restriction of bisphenol A use in thermal paper, prepared by ANSES, is submitted for public consultation by ECHA

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a monomer used as a dye developer in the manufacturing of thermal paper which is used for cash register tickets, payment receipts, self-adhesive labels, lottery tickets and fax paper. In April 2013, the Agency presented the results of its risk assessment of...

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Environmental health
Published on 03/07/2014 France's proposal on the restriction of inorganic ammonium salts in cellulose wadding, prepared by ANSES, is submitted for public consultation by ECHA

Cellulose wadding is sometimes used to insulate dwellings. It may contain ammonium salts, added for their flame-retardant properties, i.e. to improve resistance to fire. However, especially under conditions of high relative humidity, these salts can lead to emissions of ammonia...

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Environmental health
Published on 02/07/2014 Indoor air quality: ANSES proposes two guideline values for acetaldehyde

The quality of air inside buildings can be altered by various chemical or microbiological contaminants. Health effects such as respiratory diseases can also result from exposure to indoor air pollutants. The occurrence of these effects depends on the nature of the pollutants,...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 25/06/2014 Foods fortified with phytosterols: no demonstration of an overall benefit regarding prevention of cardiovascular disease

Phytosterols are natural compounds found in plants. They can lower blood cholesterol levels by reducing its intestinal absorption through competition. EU regulations authorise claims on the labels of products fortified with phytosterols indicating that phytosterols lower blood...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 20/06/2014 ANSES publishes its assessment of the risks of emergence of antimicrobial resistance related to patterns of antibiotic use in the field of animal health

The development of antimicrobial resistance is a major concern for human and animal health. This phenomenon calls into question the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs and may worsen the prognosis of certain infectious diseases, with major consequences for human health. With...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 04/06/2014 Perchlorate ions: ANSES's studies and recommendations

During the national measurement campaign conducted in 2011 by ANSES's Laboratory for Hydrology, perchlorate ions were detected in water intended for human consumption (WIHC) in several regions of France. These ions interfere with iodine absorption by the thyroid, one of the...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 22/05/2014 ANSES publishes its recommendations to reduce exposure to five substances which are reproductive toxicants and/or endocrine disruptors

ANSES was asked in 2009 by the Ministry of Health to identify and characterise potential exposure situations posing a risk to health and associated with common consumer products and/or items containing certain chemicals. This request involved approximately 30 chemicals...

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Food and nutrition, Environmental health
Published on 20/05/2014 Pesticide residues in foodstuffs: EFSA and ANSES publish their conclusions

Every year, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assesses pesticide residue-linked food risks for the European population based on the results of a surveillance programme involving all the Member States. Today, EFSA publishes its annual report based on surveillance data...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 15/05/2014 Highlighting the toxicity of certain nanomaterials, ANSES is calling for a stronger regulatory framework

Confronted with the wide range of nanomaterials in everyday life and the many questions surrounding them, ANSES today published a review of the available literature on health and environmental issues relating to manufactured nanomaterials. This will help clarify scientific...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 05/05/2014 Today ANSES publishes its recommendations on dietary supplements for weight-loss containing p-synephrine

P-synephrine, a substance found in the skin of bitter oranges, is used as an ingredient in numerous so-called "weight-loss" food supplements. ANSES has received 18 reports of adverse reactions likely to be linked to consumption of food supplements containing p-synephrine....

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 09/04/2014 Estimated cost of indoor air pollution: First study in France

The quality of air inside buildings is a public health concern in France and in many other countries. In fact, indoor environments encompass a broad diversity of exposure scenarios and many physical agents and chemical and microbiological contaminants which have variable effects...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 08/04/2014 Bee colony mortality: presentation of the initial results of the EPILOBEE European surveillance study

For several years now, weakening and mortality of bee colonies has been observed in many countries. Because of this, for the first time an active surveillance study of bee colony mortality known as EPILOBEEhas been implemented in 17 European Member States. In order to harmonise...

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Food and nutrition, Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 07/04/2014 Bisphenol A: ANSES publishes its comments in response to the EFSA draft Opinion for consultation

On 17 January 2014, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published its draft Opinion on the risks to health related to bisphenol A (BPA) on its website for consultation. On 7 February 2014, ANSES issued an internal request to analyse the main points of this draft Opinion....

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 28/03/2014 ANSES finds a link between boar exposure to Mycobacterium bovis and the distribution of tuberculosis outbreaks on cattle farms

Collaboration between the ANSES's laboratories in Nancy and in Maisons-Alfort has revealed a link between boars exposed to the bacterium which causes bovine tuberculosis and outbreaks of the disease reported in cattle farms. For the publication of these results in the Plos One...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 26/03/2014 ANSES is appointed FAO Reference Centre for brucellosis

On March 5, ANSES was appointed as the Reference Centre of the Animal Health Service of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for brucellosis, a bacterial disease with worldwide distribution which can affect humans and most mammal species, especially domestic and wild...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 25/03/2014 ECHA adopts ANSES's proposal for a tougher classification of bisphenol A as toxic for reproduction

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic chemical which has been in use for over 50 years in the plastics industry. The studies conducted by ANSES on the uses and health effects of bisphenol A led to recommendations, issued in September 2011 and in April 2013, to reduce population...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 19/03/2014 Fibreglass classification: ECHA puts ANSES's proposal up for public consultation

In March 2013, France issued two proposals to ECHA for the classification of "E-glass fibres" as category 1B carcinogens (known or presumed to have carcinogenic potential for humans) and "fibres of representative composition" as category 2 carcinogens (suspected human...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 18/03/2014 Food supplements containing red yeast rice: before consumption, ask a healthcare professional

"Red yeast rice" is a red mould grown on rice which is used in many food supplements claiming to "maintain a normal level of cholesterol". ANSES has received 25 reports of adverse reactions (mostly muscle and liver damage) likely to be linked to consumption of food supplements...

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Environmental health
Published on 18/03/2014 Naegleria fowleri in bathing water: serious but rare infections

Free-living pathogenic amoebae of the species Naegleria fowleri (N. fowleri) are responsible for primary amoebic meningo-encephalitis. A small number of cases of the disease, a severe infection with a 95% fatality rate, have been reported worldwide. In 2008, a 9-year-old boy...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 17/02/2014 Exposure of farm workers to pesticides: ANSES publishes a literature review report and launches a call for contributions

Different epidemiological studies conducted on population groups in the agricultural sector highlight a significant link between exposure to certain pesticides and certain pathologies. ANSES therefore issued an internal request in 2011 in order to identify, assess and...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 17/01/2014 Total Diet Study (TDS 2): ANSES publishes the data from its inter-regional analysis of substance exposure

By conducting its Total Diet Studies (TDS), ANSES is able to monitor the exposure of various population groups to the chemicals found in foods. In addition, it conducts national consumption surveys (INCA surveys) to gather information on the population's eating habits. In order...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 05/12/2013 C. ibidis: a new species of Chlamydia discovered by ANSES's Laboratory for Animal Health

Avian chlamydiosis is a disease caused by C. psittaci, a parasitic bacteria that affects over 465 species of domestic, farmed and wild birds. For the publication of the discovery of a new species of Chlamydia by one of its laboratories in the journal Plos One, ANSES provides...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 18/10/2013 Nutrivigilance: ANSES launches a consultation today for its opinion on food supplements containing red yeast rice

"Red yeast rice" is used in many food supplements claiming to "maintain a normal level of cholesterol". ANSES received 25 reports of adverse reactions (mostly muscle and liver damage) likely to be linked to consumption of this type of food supplement.  In light of this, ANSES...

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Published on 15/10/2013 ANSES issues recommendations for limiting exposure to radiofrequencies

Faced with the rapid development of wireless technologies, ANSES issues recommendations for limiting exposure to radiofrequencies, especially for the most vulnerable populations ANSES today publishes the results of its assessment of the risks related to exposure to...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 01/10/2013 So-called energy drinks: ANSES warns against dangerous consumption patterns

So-called energy drinks are sodas fortified with substances that are already present in food (caffeine, taurine, vitamins, etc.) and whose principal common factor is their caffeine content (on average the equivalent of two espresso coffees). Because of their composition, these...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 25/09/2013 "Espresso" machine coffee pods and capsules do not increase exposure to chemical contaminants

In the context of a partnership with the French National Consumers Institute (INC), ANSES has begun a study to compare the levels of various chemical contaminants in coffee prepared using home "espresso" machines with those of traditional drip brew coffee. The results show that...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 19/09/2013 ECHA puts ANSES's proposal for tougher bisphenol A classification up for public consultation

Bisphenol A is a synthetic chemical which has been in use for over 50 years. Since last year, it has been the subject of a law which aims to ban its use in food containers.  The studies conducted by ANSES on the uses and health effects of bisphenol A led to recommendations,...

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Food and nutrition, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 05/09/2013 Pesticides in tap water: regional variations do not alter the findings of the national risk assessments

Like other foods, tap water is susceptible to contamination by pesticides. ANSES conducted a dedicated study to assess water’s share in overall dietary exposure to pesticides and the consequences of geographic variability in contamination in terms of risk.This study,conducted in...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 16/07/2013 A summary of the Agency's recommendations for fish and fishery products

Fish and fishery products have valuable nutritional qualities which make them an especially sound food choice. Eating fish twice a week, including one portion of oily fish, is therefore recommended. However, since they are in permanent contact with the environment, the foods...

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Occupational health
Published on 28/06/2013 Indoor air guideline values: ANSES proposes two values for acrolein

There are many potential pollutants of indoor air that can have an impact on both health and well-being. Problems may simply be bothersome (olfactive discomfort, sleepiness, eye and skin irritation) or may cause or worsen a number of serious pathologies. To handle the challenges...

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Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 13/06/2013 Pesticides and health: a major challenge for ANSES

INSERM has just published the results of a collective expert appraisal on "pesticides and health" which it undertook at the request of the French Directorate General for Health (DGS). The term "pesticides" globally covers all the products used for pest control, in other words...

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Plant health
Published on 14/05/2013 Controlling pine and oak processionary caterpillars in urban areas: ANSES recommends combining preventive and curative measures

Processionary caterpillars are insects, found in several regions of France, including urban areas, whose proliferation compromises the health of the trees on which they feed. They also have an effect on human and animal health as their urticating bristles cause skin irritations...

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Environmental health, Veterinary medicine - ANMV
Published on 13/05/2013 Drug residues in water: ANSES today publishes a general method for assessing the health risks

For several years now, the health authorities and the scientific community have been investigating the presence of drug residues in water. The Agency has been working on this issue since 2006 and has established a comprehensive approach that is now part of the National Plan on...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 07/05/2013 ANSES recommends that greater consideration be given to all the effects of noise on health

While the undesirable effects of high noise levels on hearing are well known, noise can have other, non-auditory effects on health, which can occur at lower levels and are observed in the vicinity of transport or industrial infrastructures, for example. In response to a joint...

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Food and nutrition, Animal health and welfare
Published on 30/04/2013 Today ANSES publishes its Opinion on the abolition of BSE slaughterhouse tests

As the epidemiological situation improves with regard to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the age limit for cattle subject to mandatory testing at the slaughterhouse has gradually been raised. In 2011, ANSES therefore recommended that the age limit for cattle testing be...

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Animal health and welfare, Environmental health
Published on 24/04/2013 Fish pedicures: ANSES recommends significant and rigorous changes in practice

With the growing popularity of “fish pedicures”, in which fish are used to nibble away particles of dead skin, ANSES was requested by the Ministry of Health to assess the health risks involved in this kind of procedure. In an Opinion published today, the Agency recommends...

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Food and nutrition, Environmental health
Published on 09/04/2013 Bisphenol A: ANSES demonstrates potential health risks and confirms the need to reduce exposure

After three years of study, ANSES today published the results of its assessment of the health risks associated with bisphenol A. This work is accompanied by three other reports: an inventory of potential alternatives to bisphenol A, a hazard assessment for other compounds of the...

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Occupational health, Environmental health
Published on 03/04/2013 The health effects of lead levels below 100 µg/L

In a scientific opinion entitled "Lead in food" published in April 2010, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reported neurotoxic, developmental, cardiovascular and renal effects linked to blood lead levels(1) below 100 µg/L, a monitoring level commonly authorised...

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Food and nutrition, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 29/03/2013 Assessment of cumulative risks: ANSES contributes to the development of methods for plant protection products

The assessment of the cumulative risks of chemicals is currently one of the major challenges in the understanding and management of risks. With regard to pesticides and their residues, assessment methods are currently under development and tend toward the grouping together of...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 29/03/2013 Microbiological risks in food: vigilance remains necessary, especially with regard to emerging pathogens

Foods can be contaminated at several stages of production and preparation by a variety of pathogens (viruses, bacteria, moulds, parasites) whose effects may be benign, or on the contrary quite serious or even fatal. For the publication of two expert reports on potential emerging...

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Environmental health
Published on 28/03/2013 ANSES publishes its recommendations for whirlpool baths and pools

For several years now, water-based recreational activities have become increasingly popular, and involve various types of bathing and swimming.  Along with the development of these activities, our understanding of the chemicals and pathogens that may be found in swimming pool...

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Environmental health
Published on 26/03/2013 Indoor Air Quality Guidelines (IAQGs): ANSES proposes two values for nitrogen dioxide

Various pollutants likely to be found in indoor air may affect our comfort and health to various degrees, from simple irritation (unpleasant odours, drowsiness or irritation of the eyes or skin) to the onset or aggravation of serious diseases. To address the health issues...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 21/03/2013 Domestic hygiene: ANSES launches a consultation on its recommendations to improve consumer information

Food can be contaminated by numerous micro-organisms causing a wide range of illnesses. Close to 40% of all foodborne illness outbreaks declared in France occur in the home. In light of this, in 2012 ANSES updated its home hygiene page which provides a wide range of...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 01/02/2013 ANSES examines a poorly documented topic: socio-economic inequalities in the diets of children and adolescents

The relationship between diet and socio-economic status has rarely been examined in children and adolescents in France. The expertise conducted by ANSES on this topic shows that the diet of underprivileged children and adolescents is of a lower quality. It also highlights the...

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Environmental health
Published on 30/01/2013 Bee mortality and pesticides: ANSES's reaction to the publication of an opinion by the European Food Safety Authority

In opinions published today, the European Food Safety Authority in certain cases clearly emphasised bee colony health risks linked to exposure to insecticides containing three substances belonging to the neonicotinoid class. In other cases, risk assessments either could not be...

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Published on 14/11/2012 Workers exposed to plant protection products: ANSES recommends conducting tests to more effectively assess the performance of personal protective equipment 14 November 2012

In the context of the assessment of plant protection preparations, the regulations provide for the assessment of risks for users. In certain cases, authorisation of a preparation may be dependent upon users of the product wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). In order to...

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Published on 07/11/2012 Salt: intake reduced, but still not enough 9 november 2012

Consumed in excess, salt is a risk factor for disease, especially high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. In 2002, the Agency recommended lowering population intake by 20% through the gradual reduction in the salt content of certain foods. In partnership with the French...

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Food and nutrition, Environmental health, Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers
Published on 02/11/2012 An overview by ANSES of the Caribbean population's food-based exposure to pesticide residues

Due to their specific eating habits and to the pests affecting tropical agriculture, the Caribbean population may be exposed to special risks associated with pesticide residues in their food. In the framework of the "Chlordecone" national action plan, ANSES conducted the...

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Occupational health
Published on 18/10/2012 Occupational exposure limit values for chemicals: ANSES issues calls for contributions from stakeholders

18 october 2012As one of its responsibilities in the area of occupational health, ANSES has been entrusted by the Ministry of Labour to conduct scientific assessments prior to the setting of occupational exposure limits (OELs) for certain chemicals. In order to contribute to the...

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Published on 26/09/2012 ANSES proposes a more stringent EU level classification for bisphenol A as a substance toxic to reproduction

ANSES is in charge of providing support to the French authorities for the implementation of the European regulation concerning the classification and labelling of chemicals. In keeping with the work the Agency has conducted on bisphenol A, it has filed a proposal with the...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 19/09/2012 ANSES to immediately examine a new study on GMO toxicity

19 september 2012A new study on the toxicity of GMOs was published today. Solicited by the French government, ANSES will immediately examine this new study and will inform the ministries of its conclusions without delay. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms or...

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Published on 14/08/2012 High-intensity sweeteners and pregnancy: ANSES identifies a new study14 August 2012

Following an initial Opinion published in March 2011 based on two studies of the health effects of high-intensity sweeteners, ANSES made an internal request for assessment of the nutritional risks and benefits of these additives. The assessment is currently under way, and a...

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Published on 07/08/2012 ANSES proposes new toxicity reference values (TRVs) for two substances, vinyl chloride and cadmium07 August 2012

In the context of its scientific expertise missions regarding toxicity reference values (TRVs), ANSES today published new values for two contaminants frequently found in the environment - vinyl chloride monomer and cadmium and its compounds.For several years, ANSES has been...

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Published on 06/08/2012 Road infrastructure impact studies: ANSES proposes a list of pollutants to investigate in health risk assessments7 August 2012

Today ANSES published its conclusions and recommendations regarding pollutants to be investigated in the context of road infrastructure health risk assessments. This work enters into the framework of revision of the French inter-ministerial circular dated 25 February 2005...

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Published on 24/07/2012 ANSES proposes a tool for animal disease prioritisation24 July 2012

Over the last 50 years, the field of animal health has evolved substantially in France. In this context, and following the National consultation on the health sector, ANSES received a request from the Ministry of Agriculture to develop a method for prioritising the animal...

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Environmental health
Published on 10/07/2012 Reuse of treated wastewater: ANSES supplements its previous studies

10 July 2012 With a view to conserving water resources, the reuse of treated wastewater (RTWW) for crop irrigation or green space watering is considered an interesting alternative solution. In the wake of expertise work on the risks of exposure by the oral route, ANSES has just...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 18/06/2012 High-intensity sweeteners: Today ANSES issues a preliminary review of their nutritional risks and benefits during pregnancy

18 June 2012Following an initial Opinion published in March 2011 based on two studies of the health effects of high-intensity sweeteners, ANSES made an internal request for assessment of the nutritional risks and benefits of these additives. The assessment is currently under way...

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Published on 11/06/2012 ANSES is granted a new reference laboratory mandate by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)

11 June 2012At the May 2012 General Session of the World Organisation for Animal Health, ANSES's Maisons-Alfort Laboratory for Animal Health was entrusted with a new reference mandate, for epizootic haemorrhagic disease. The session was also an opportunity to officially...

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Animal health and welfare
Published on 31/05/2012 Bee mortality: ANSES recommends reinforcing European plant protection product regulation and emphasises the need for a multifactorial approach to risks

1st of June 2012Cruiser OSR is a seed-dressing insecticide authorised for oilseed rape cultivation. It contains three active ingredients, including thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid-class insecticide. The results of a study published recently in the journal Science highlights the...

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Published on 22/05/2012 Introduction of exotic animal diseases in France: recommendations for improving surveillance and prevention

22 May 2012Foot and mouth disease, avian influenza or bluetongue – as the crises of the past decade have shown, organised and responsive systems are vital to combat exotic pathogens. In order to identify the exotic diseases most at risk of being introduced into France, and to...

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Published on 04/05/2012 Growth factors in milk and dairy products: ANSES publishes its opinion on their impact on the risk of developing cancer

4 May 2012Growth factors are substances produced naturally by humans and many animal species. They are thus found in animal products such as milk. These substances are necessary for development and act primarily on cellular growth and proliferation. The Agency received a formal...

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Published on 20/04/2012 ANSES publishes the results of its studies on the risks related to talc in the workplace

20 April 2012Following several reports concerning the use in the workplace of a coating manufactured from talc that was suspected of containing asbestos fibres, the Agency was asked in March 2009 to evaluate the mineral fibre and cleavage fragment composition of talcs, as well...

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Published on 06/04/2012 ANSES and the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) sign a Memorandum of Understanding

6 april 2012On March 19, 2012, ANSES and the US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in order to create a framework for numerous cooperation initiatives in the area of occupational health risk assessment. Two key...

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Published on 30/03/2012 Bee colony health: ANSES examines the results of a study of the effect of an active insecticide ingredient on the behaviour of forager bees

30 March 2012A new study has just been published on the potential effect of an insecticide ingredient, thiamethoxam, on bee colony health via its influence on the behaviour of forager bees. ANSES, in keeping with its mission of continuous surveillance, and at the request of the...

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Food and nutrition
Published on 01/03/2012 Launch of a European project to harmonise and facilitate the monitoring of food contaminants

1st March 2012Several European countries regularly conduct studies to monitor the exposure of their populations to chemical contaminants through their daily diet (known as “total diet studies”, or TDS). A European project called "TDS_EXPOSURE" is being launched today in order to...

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Published on 07/02/2012 Emergence of the Schmallenberg virus: ANSES receives a formal request

7 February 2012The previously unknown Schmallenberg virus was first identified as affecting cattle and small ruminants in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium in the second half of 2011. The French authorities promptly set up a surveillance system which detected the virus in...

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Published on 24/01/2012 Emergence of the Schmallenberg virus and creation of a surveillance system

24 January 2012This previously unknown virus first appeared in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium in the second half of 2011, affecting cattle and small ruminants. The French authorities rapidly set up a surveillance system to detect any introduction of the virus on French...

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