A note on EFSA’s ongoing efforts to increase transparency of uncertainty in scientific opinions.

Abstract

This is a comment on Lofstedt and Bouder’s paper, which explores the prospects of evidence based uncertainty analysis in Europe, focusing on the ongoing development on uncertainty analysis at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). We very much welcome a discussion on the need to develop better treatment and communication of uncertainty in risk analysis, as we believe that such discussion is long overdue. Lofstedt and Bouder raise many relevant points, in particular the call for evidence based uncertainty analysis. However, there is need to distinguish different types of communication in the discussion and facilitate – not diminish – the description and communication of uncertainty between risk assessors and decision-makers. We find that EFSA has taken steps toward a novel approach to guide their scientific experts and risk assessors in uncertainty analysis based on a modern and scientific view on uncertainty.