Table 7.

Summary of qualitative evaluation of the impact of uncertainties on the risk assessment on effect on public health of a possible increase of the maximum level for ‘aflatoxin total’ from 4 to 10 μg/kg in peanuts and processed products thereof, intended for direct human consumption or use as an ingredient in foodstuffs

Sources of uncertainty	Direction
Same proportion of samples exceeding the current and the suggested increased maximum level	+a
Resampling of occurrence data by bootstrapping	+/−
Limited occurrence data in peanut butter and peanut oil	+/−
Use of lower bound/upper bound data for ‘aflatoxin total’	+/−
Mean value of ‘aflatoxin total’ in peanuts influenced by some high values, potentially being removed from or not placed on the market	+
Conversion of foods that may contain peanuts into the corresponding amount of peanuts and peanut butter	+/−
Assessment for consumers only, while most consumption surveys cover few days	+
Reliable assessment for highly exposed consumers was not possible	−
Extrapolating cancer risk outside dose range	+
Estimated cancer potency for hepatitis B surface antigen‐subjects is more uncertain because based on relatively few cases	+/−
Cancer potency for aflatoxin B1 applied to ‘aflatoxin total’	+
Use of upper bound cancer potencies	+
Possible interaction between aflatoxin and hepatitis C	−

^a+ = uncertainty with potential to cause overestimation of exposure/risk; − = uncertainty with potential to cause underestimation of exposure/risk.