The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has thrown down the gauntlet to manufacturers and regulators over the food additive vegetable carbon, known as E 153, aiming to tighten safety standards that promise to stir up the food and additives industry. The new scientific opinion, published on 28 January 2026, targets impurities and particle size concerns that could trigger reactions from producers, consumer safety advocates, and national food safety authorities concerned about public health and compliance costs.
This assessment is drawn from the EFSA's ANS Panel scientific opinion issued on 28 January 2026, following an analysis of data submitted by a single interested business operator in response to a European Commission data call. EFSA’s opinion does not legislate but provides a scientific basis meant to influence future EU regulations.
Rather than a binding law, this EFSA scientific opinion serves as an expert assessment recommending amendments to the EU specifications for E 153. It offers concrete proposals such as revising specific numerical limits for toxic elements (arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead), introducing a limit for aluminium, and lowering allowable levels for benzo[a]pyrene carcinogens and introducing limits for the broader PAH4 group. The opinion also calls for further risk assessment considering the presence of nanoparticles, signifying a move toward addressing nanomaterials under food additive safety rules.
EFSA pivots policy towards stricter contaminant controls and embracing nanoscale risk perspectives, prioritizing consumer health protection over the status quo of specification limits. This recognizes the presence of nanoparticle fractions in E 153, demanding updated toxicological evaluations compliant with EFSA nano-guidance, marking a regulatory intensification in additive characterization.
Stakeholders impacted include food additive producers who may face costly reformulations or compliance procedures, EU consumer protection bodies welcoming enhanced safety thresholds, national food safety authorities mandated to enforce updated limits, and downstream food manufacturers relying on E 153 whose supply chains may become more complex or costly due to tighter impurity and particle size controls.
This scientific opinion sets the stage for the European Commission and EU Member States to consider legislative changes to food additive regulations. The EFSA’s risk-based recommendations are likely to prompt regulatory revisions, with further involvement expected from EU law-making bodies and national regulators in debating and implementing updated E 153 specifications.
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