Table 5.

Qualitative evaluation of influence of uncertainties on the dietary exposure estimate

Sources of uncertainties	Directiona
Consumption data: Different methodologies/representativeness/underreporting/misreporting/no portion size standard	+/–
Use of data from food consumption surveys covering only a few days to estimate high percentiles (95th) long‐term (chronic) exposure	+
Correspondence of reported use levels to the food items in the EFSA Comprehensive Database: uncertainties to which types of food the levels refer	+/–
Uncertainty in possible national differences in use levels within food categories	+/–
Concentration data: – Levels considered applicable to all foods within the entire food category – Levels not fully representative of foods on the EU market	+ +/–
Food categories included in the exposure assessment: no data for certain food categories which were therefore not considered in the exposure estimates (n = 3 for the refined scenarios out of the 5 authorised food categories)	–
Food categories selected for the exposure assessment: inclusion of food categories without considering the restriction/exception (n = 3 max scenario/n = 1 refined scenarios out of 5 authorised food categories)	+
Regulatory maximum level exposure assessment scenario: – exposure calculations based on the MPLs according to Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008	+
Refined exposure assessment scenarios: – exposure calculations based on the maximum or mean levels (reported use from food industries)	+/–

MPL: maximum permitted level.

^a+, uncertainty with potential to cause overestimation of exposure; –, uncertainty with potential to cause underestimation of exposure.