Table 4.

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 percentile (95th) of 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 of food categories	+/–
Concentration data: – use levels considered applicable to all foods within the entire food category, whereas on average 0.2% of the foods, belonging to food categories with foods labelled with additive, was labelled with the additive – in case E 473 and E 474 are both authorised, some reported use levels do not show whether E 473 only has been used	+ +/–
Food categories excluded from the exposure assessment due to missing FoodEx linkage (n = 6 food categories)	–
Food categories included in the exposure assessment without considering the restriction/exception (n = 9 food categories)	+
Food categories included in the exposure assessment considering only partly the restriction/exception (n = 1 food category)	–
Food categories not included in the refined exposure assessment due to lack of use levels (n = 10 food categories)	–
Fruits that can be consumed with peel were considered to be always consumed with peel	+
Regulatory maximum level exposure assessment scenario: – exposure calculations based on MPLs according to Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 – foods which may contain the food additive according to Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 partly taken into account	+ –
Refined exposure assessment scenarios and the specific FSMP and food supplements scenarios: – exposure calculations based on the maximum or mean levels (reported use from industries) – foods which may contain the food additive according to Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 partly taken into account	+ –

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