Plain Language Summary of the risk assessment of complex organoarsenic species in food

Risk assessment of complex organoarsenic species in foodBackground to the risk assessment Risk managers need scientific guidance on the safety of food contaminants, such as arsenic, to establish maximum levels that can be present in foods without causing adverse health effects. Complex organoarsenic species are compounds containing methyl groups and a larger organic group bound to arsenic.These compounds are found almost exclusively in marine foods such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and seaweeds.The most common complex organoarsenic species include arsenobetaine, arsenosugars (such as glycerol arsenosugar) and arsenolipids. In 2009, the EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM Panel) assessed the risks to human health from arsenic in food and published a scientific opinion. At that time, EFSA could only assess the risks of inorganic arsenic due to a lack of data on small and complex organoarsenic species. Since the 2009 scientific opinion, new studies have emerged on the toxicity of both inorganic arsenic and organoarsenic species.Additionally, EFSA released dietary exposure assessments for inorganic arsenic in 2014 and 2021.