European Biohazard Panel Updates Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) List

In its July 2025 update, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) revised its Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) list, a key tool for assessing the safety of microorganisms intentionally added to food and feed. The update reviewed 47 microorganisms notified to EFSA between October 2024 and March 2025, including candidates for use as feed additives, food enzymes, novel foods, and plant protection products.

Of these, 41 were not reassessed, either because they were already listed or excluded from QPS evaluation—such as Escherichia coli, filamentous fungi, and Streptomyces spp., which require full safety assessments due to known risks or insufficient data 2. Among the six newly assessed microorganisms, Bacillus sonorensis was recommended for inclusion in the QPS list, but only under strict conditions: it must not produce bacitracin and must show no toxigenic activity. Similarly, Vibrio natriegens was approved for production purposes only, meaning it can be used in industrial processes but not as a live ingredient in food or feed

Other candidates, such as Corynebacterium stationis and Papilotrema terrestris, were not recommended due to limited scientific knowledge and potential safety concerns. The update also included Lactobacillus paragasseri, formerly part of Lactobacillus gasseri, which was added to the QPS list based on sufficient safety data

EFSA emphasized that genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) may still qualify for QPS status if safety concerns—such as harmful gene sequences—are removed through validated genetic modifications. Additionally, for yeasts used as production strains or biomass, the qualification “for production purposes only” was reinforced to ensure they are not used as active agents unless proven safe.