Issues and challenges in the safety evaluation of food flavors

Within the context of safety assessment of "social chemicals" such as drugs, agrochemicals, major food additives and environmental chemicals, food flavors have conventionally been perceived to be of relatively low priority. The growing aspiration to achieve a "globally recognized list of flavors" and the necessity to achieve some degree of consensus as to the procedures to be used for their safety evaluation have changed this perception. The purpose of this workshop is to focus on the newer concepts and strategies applicable to the safety evaluation process and to evaluate these as part of a process to seek harmonization of approach and to ensure that up-to-date science-based procedures are incorporated in evaluation programs in the interest of both protecting the health of the public and helping the industry to continue to provide flavors that are safe.