We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Emerging risk identification in the food chain using text mining–supported monitoring of food safety news: insights from 2022 to 2023
Summary
Researchers applied automated text-mining of European food-safety news from 2022–2023 to identify emerging food-chain risks, finding that microplastics, PFAS, and pesticide-related signals increased markedly compared to 2020–2021 and that combining algorithmic topic detection with expert evaluation provides an effective early-warning system for regulators.
The identification of emerging risks in the food chain is essential for proactive food safety management in a rapidly evolving global environment. In this study, we applied a structured emerging risk identification framework supported by text mining of food safety news collected from the Europe Media Monitor (EMM) to analyse signals from 2022 to 2023. The workflow combines automated news collection, topic detection, and expert evaluation within a multi-stage filtering system. Using this approach, 164 emerging risks and drivers were identified during the study period. Chemical risks-including pesticide-related issues, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and microplastics-were among the most frequently detected topics, while sustainability-related developments such as alternative proteins and novel packaging technologies emerged as major drivers of change. Comparison with the 2020-2021 period indicates a marked increase in signals related to chemical contaminants and sustainability. These findings highlight the value of combining automated text mining of food safety news with expert-based evaluation to support timely emerging risk identification in the food chain.