The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Nutrition and Food Innovation Unit is launching a project to develop a structured database containing key information from EFSA’s novel food opinions.

The database will be used to support the risk assessment activities, allowing users to search, filter, and compare data across novel food opinions; extract data; perform analysis and meta-analysis; and enter data systematically at the end of the risk assessment process. The objectives of the project are threefold:

1. Data modeling: Develop a model that can cover all relevant data for the risk assessment of novel food dossiers, in consideration of the already existing OpenFoodTox database, OECD Harmonised Templates (OHTs), and International Uniform Chemical Information Database (IUCLID) documents. The data model should represent data in a structured manner, selecting the most appropriate data type to describe each piece of information, and using controlled vocabularies whenever possible.
2. Data extraction: Extract information from all published novel food opinions to date, using the newly developed data model.
3. Guideline for data entry: Propose a guideline, standard operating procedure, or best approach for entering new data into the database.

EFSA is seeking interested organizations or individuals to tender the project. Applications are open until September 18, 2023.