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Afssa's news<BR>Afssa<BR>27-31 avenue du Général Leclerc<BR>94701 MAISONS-ALFORT Cedex<BR>+33 1 49 77 13 50<BR><BR>Afssa's latest news can be found below.<BR><BR><BR>>>You can also view previous topics here (from 1 January 2008). <BR>News<BR>· News by subjects<BR><BR>> About Afssa<BR><BR>> Food<BR><BR>> Animal health and nutrition<BR><BR>> Plants<BR><BR>> Research and reference activities<BR><BR>· Previous topics<BR><BR>· All Afssa's close-ups<BR>RSS Feeds<BR>Avian influenza<BR>25 February 2010<BR>Weekly epidemiological update of the international situation of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus at week 06<BR>An outbreak of HPAI H5N1 virus in poultry : Burma, Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam<BR>In India, outbreaks of HPAI H5 virus in poultry<BR><BR>Médicaments vétérinaires : déclaration en ligne des effets indésirables<BR>16 février 2010<BR>L'Afssa, via l'Agence nationale du médicament vétérinaire, exerce une mission de pharmacovigilance vétérinaire. Celle-ci consiste à surveiller l'innocuité des médicaments vétérinaires (dont les vaccins) chez l'animal et chez l'homme en contact avec ces médicaments. Aujourd'hui, le panel de moyens à disposition des professionnels pour déclarer des effets indésirables s'élargit à la télédéclaration.<BR>Water treatment: guidelines for the assessment of ion exchangers <BR>9 February 2010<BR>Ion-exchange resins have been used for many years in water treatment. Since its inception, AFSSA has been in charge of the assessment of marketing authorisation applications for these products. It has drafted specific guidelines for the European context which are revised to keep up with scientific advances and to constantly improve the assessment process. <BR>Bisphenol A: AFSSA recommends the development of new assessment methods<BR>5 February 2010<BR>The existence of new studies on BPA prompted AFSSA to file an internal request in October 2009. The results of this appraisal have been published in a new Opinion.<BR>A/H1N1 Influenza: a confirmed turkey farm outbreak - a review of AFSSA's role and the importance of biosafety in farming <BR>25 January 2010<BR><BR>On 19 January 2010, the AFSSA Ploufragan National reference laboratory confirmed an outbreak of A/H1N1 influenza in a turkey farm in the Côtes d'Armor area of France. This is the first time that this new virus, responsible for the human A/H1N1 influenza epidemic, has been found in a French farm animal. Since the emergence of this new virus in spring 2009, AFSSA has been working actively on the animal health aspect of the epidemic. Here is a review of the Agency's biosafety recommendations for farms. <BR>Journal of Reference: the second issue now available!<BR>20 January 2010<BR>Reference work is essential to health monitoring. The Journal of Reference was created to facilitate the flow of communication on this vast topic by providing information about reference news, recent research and characterisation methods for pathogenic strains and contaminants in the food production chain. The second issue is now available. <BR>PNPPs (natural preparations of low concern): an information day on evaluation methods for these products <BR>20 January 2010<BR><BR>In preparation for deployment of the ECOPHYTO 2018 plan, the Ministry of Agriculture has requested an exploration of the methods for assessing the efficaciousness of PNPPs (natural preparations of low concern). The French Association for Plant Protection has created three working groups to study the topic in which AFSSA is highly involved. On January 15, the Agency organised an information and feedback day to review study results. <BR>New surveillance methods for lipophilic marine biotoxins<BR>11 January 2010<BR>In preparation for replacement of the mouse bioassay by chemical tests within the framework of EU regulations, AFSSA has acquired the necessary tools for detecting, identifying and measuring all regulated lipophilic toxins in shellfish as of January 2010. The methods used are stringent and validated. <BR>The agency is also actively involved in the implementation of a safeguard plan, as found in its opinion of 4 December 2009, which will make it possible to anticipate the consequences of atypical toxicities that would not be fully assessed using regulatory monitoring. <BR>Close-up on Cruiser: AFSSA issues a positive opinion but under strict conditions of use<BR>15 December 2009<BR>AFSSA received a request to assess the health risks and efficacy of the Cruiser 350 preparation, within the scope of the application for marketing authorisation (MA) for the product. In view of all the data provided by both the manufacturer and the observations made through the surveillance programme implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, and given the application's compliance with the various provisions of European regulations, AFSSA issued a positive opinion for the public authorities to grant an MA. The Agency has nevertheless restricted this positive opinion to a limited field of use under very strict conditions.<BR>Bluetongue (BT): Pharmacovigilance data do not call into question the risk/benefit status of the vaccines <BR>11 December 2009<BR>AFSSA has now presented professionals with its report on the 2008 and 2009 vaccination campaigns, during which some 123 million doses of vaccine were administered, together with the outlook for the 2010 campaign. A detailed analysis of declarations of adverse effects compiled since this campaign began, by the pharmacovigilance system set up by AFSSA and run by the French Agency for Veterinary Medicinal Products, has concluded that there are no grounds for calling into question the risk/benefit status of the vaccines.<BR>AFSSA warns companies to watch out for fraudulent use of its name<BR>4 December 2009<BR>The Agency has been alerted by several companies in the food-processing sector which have been victims of attempted fraud through the misuse of its name. It has requested an investigation by the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), and has asked companies in the food-processing sector to be vigilant.<BR>The AFSSA-AFSSET alliance: progress report<BR>25 November 2009<BR>An initial report was submitted to Government authorities on 15 November, to provide them with input for the Ministerial order being prepared and with feedback on discussions being held with all stakeholders on the objectives and arrangements for setting up a new consolidated Agency to take over from AFSSA and AFSSET. This news update summarises the work already undertaken.<BR>Launch of a national vigilance plan for food supplements<BR>20 november 2009<BR>Following the launch on 29 October of a national vigilance plan for food supplements, here is a review of the objectives and procedure of the plan established by the French Act on Hospitals, Patients, Health and Territories of July 2009.<BR>Harmonisation européenne des limites maximales de résidus des pesticides : l'Afssa examine le niveau de protection des consommateurs<BR>22 octobre 2009<BR>Au 1er septembre 2008, une nouvelle réglementation européenne relative aux limites maximales de résidus (LMR) de pesticides dans les denrées est entrée en vigueur. A la demande de la Direction Générale de la Santé, l'Afssa a réalisé une comparaison des anciennes LMR nationales et des nouvelles LMR harmonisées au regard du niveau de protection du consommateur français. Ce travail permet de conclure que le niveau global de protection du consommateur conféré par l'application de cette nouvelle réglementation est équivalent à celui que fournissait l'application de la réglementation nationale. <BR>Pine nuts called into question <BR>1 October 2009<BR>In France over the last few months, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), as well as poison and toxicovigilance centres have been receiving reports from consumers who have noted a transient bitter aftertaste following consumption of pine nuts.<BR>Opinion of the marketing authorisation commission of 1 december 2009 <BR>>Press release (in French)<BR>05/02/2010<BR>Bisphenol A: AFSSA recommends the development of new assessment methods<BR>> Press release<BR>> Opinion of 29 January 2010<BR><A HREF='PN40I0.htm'>View Afssa</A>
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