(1)

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) adopted a risk assessment in 2020 on glycoalkaloids in feed and food, in particular in potatoes and potato-derived products (1).

(2)

In humans, acute toxic effects of potato glycoalkaloids (α-solanine and α-chaconine) include gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. For these effects, the CONTAM Panel identified a lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL) of 1 mg total potato glycoalkaloids/kg body weight (bw) per day as a reference point for the risk characterisation following acute exposure. A margin of exposure (MOE) higher than 10 indicates that there is no health concern. This MOE of 10 takes into account the extrapolation from a LOAEL to a no-observed-adverse-effect (NOAEL) (a factor of 3) and the interindividual variability in toxicodynamics (a factor of 3,2). Given that acute exposure estimates in certain exposure scenarios resulted in a MOE lower than 10, this indicates a health concern.

(3)

The CONTAM Panel recommended that more occurrence data should be gathered on glycoalkaloids and their aglycones in the potato varieties available on the market, in new potato varieties resulting from breeding experiments and in processed potato products, including foods for infants.

(4)

Good agricultural practices, good storage and transport conditions and good manufacturing practices can reduce the presence of glycoalkaloids in potatoes and processed potato products. More information must however be gathered on the factors that lead to relatively high levels of glycoalkaloids in potatoes and processed potato products in order to be able to identify the measures to be taken to avoid or reduce the presence of glycoalkaloids in these foodstuffs. It is appropriate, if possible, to analyse in particular in processed potato products also the degradation products β- and γ- solanine and chaconine and the aglycon solanidine, given that these compounds have the same toxicity as α-solanine and α-chaconine.

(5)

The results of the monitoring of glycoalkaloids must be reliable and comparable. It is therefore appropriate to provide instructions on their extraction as well as requirements for their analysis. As the presence of glycoalkaloids is higher in unpeeled potatoes than in peeled potatoes, and higher in small potatoes than in larger potatoes, it is important to provide information on these factors when reporting occurrence data.

(6)

To advise on when it would be appropriate to identify the factors leading to relatively high levels of glycoalkaloids, it is appropriate to establish an indicative value for potatoes. It is also appropriate to obtain more information on the effects of processing on the level of glycoalkaloids.

(7)

It is therefore appropriate to recommend the monitoring of glycoalkaloids in potato and potato products and the identification of the factors resulting in their high levels, and to gather more information on the effects of processing on the level of glycoalkaloids,