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nanomatériaux
09/06/2020 —
News

Nanomaterials in food: ANSES's recommendations for improving their identification and better assessing consumer health risks

Since the late 1990s, because of their specific properties, an increasing number of nanomaterials have been incorporated into everyday products, particularly foods. Now, faced with the proliferation of engineered nanomaterials in our daily lives, many questions are being asked about their identification, their impacts on human health and the environment, and how to regulate them. ANSES is particularly interested in this topic and has published several expert appraisal reports on nanomaterials since 2006. In line with this, the Agency now offers a review of the presence of engineered nanomaterials in food, along with a method to determine the best approach for assessing the health risks of foods containing such materials.
Pieges Moustiques
20/05/2020 —
News

The fight against COVID-19 should not be allowed to overshadow the risks associated with the dengue epidemics occurring in the French overseas territories

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Directorate General for Health made an urgent request to ANSES to assess the benefit-risk ratio of maintaining the vector control (VC) practices usually implemented against dengue and other endemic diseases spread by mosquitoes. This is because the measures taken against COVID-19 have tended to restrict the actions of professionals and the population, despite the fact that certain parts of the French overseas territories are in an epidemic or pre-epidemic situation with regard to dengue. In this context, the Agency points to the need to keep up efforts to control the mosquitoes that carry dengue. It provides guidance on measures to enable those responsible for VC to continue their work, while taking care to limit the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Lastly, it underlines the need to continue providing ongoing information on the epidemic risks associated with mosquitoes (dengue, zika, malaria, etc.) at a time when general attention is focused on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tiques
18/05/2020 —
News

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 is more practical for users and more useful for researchers.
Produits Phytopharmaceutiques
30/04/2020 —
News

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 scientific teams chosen to carry out these studies, whose results will be used in the European Union's re-assessment of glyphosate due for late 2022.
Huiles Essentielles
28/04/2020 —
News

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 exposure to these essential-oil based products, along with a review of scientific literature on the health effects of the substances emitted. An analysis of the cases of poisoning reported to the French Poison Control and Monitoring Centres highlighted a range of adverse effects in normal conditions of use, mainly irritation of the eyes, throat and nose, and respiratory effects. These products also emit volatile organic compounds, which may be a source of indoor air pollution. ANSES is alerting the public authorities to the need to better inform consumers of the precautions to be taken when using these products, particularly in the case of people suffering from asthma or other chronic respiratory diseases, owing to the irritating substances potentially emitted by these products.
20/04/2020 —
News

COVID-19: domestic animals play no part in transmission of the virus to humans

When asked about potential transmission of the COVID-19 disease via domestic animals, ANSES urgently convened an expert group to answer this question. It issued its first opinion on 9 March 2020 . The recently acquired initial findings of investigations into the possible infection of pets during COVID-19 outbreaks and experimental inoculation models of certain domestic animal species have since led the Agency to update its expert appraisal. In particular, there have been reports of sporadic cases of contamination of domestic animals, and experimental infections have demonstrated the susceptibility of some animal species (ferrets, hamsters and to a lesser extent cats) to the virus. After taking this new information into account, ANSES nevertheless considers that there is currently no scientific evidence showing that domestic animals (livestock and pets) play an epidemiological role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Compléments Alimentaires
17/04/2020 —
News

ANSES warns against taking food supplements that could lower the body’s immune response

Some of the plants found in food supplements can weaken the body’s natural defences, primarily by interfering with the inflammatory defence mechanisms used to fight infection and, in particular, COVID-19. The plants concerned by the ANSES opinion include willow, meadowsweet, harpagophytum, turmeric, echinacea, birch, poplar and liquorice.
Vitamine D
17/04/2020 —
News

Ensuring sufficient vitamin D intake through diet during lockdown

Vitamin D plays a key role in maintaining bone and muscle tissue and boosting our immune system. In the current COVID-19 epidemic, our immune defences might need to work particularly hard. We get our vitamin D intake from food sources such as oily fish, cheese and egg yolk. ANSES is reiterating the importance of ensuring sufficient intake, not only during the current lockdown but all year round, particularly for older people, people with olive or dark skin, and menopausal women. For these populations, an insufficient intake over a long period leads to weaker bones and a higher risk of fractures, as well as decreasing immune defences. The Agency has compiled a list of vitamin D-rich foods that you may already have in your cupboards or that you can add to your basket when next you go shopping.
Pesticides
14/04/2020 —
News

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 reassessment of several active substances at European level as a priority. At the same time, the Agency is undertaking its own immediate reassessment of products already on the market, based on the latest European standards.

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