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 survey of a few days to estimate long‐term (chronic) exposure for high percentiles (95th percentile)	+
Correspondence of reported use levels and analytical data to the food items in the EFSA Comprehensive Food Consumption Database: uncertainties to which types of food the levels refer to	+/−
Uncertainty in possible national differences in use levels of food categories	+/–
Concentration data: levels considered applicable for all items within the entire food category unclear representativeness of foods on the EU market only one level provided on a niche product for food category bread and rolls (FC 07.1)	+ +/− +
Food categories selected for the exposure assessment: exclusion of food categories due to missing FoodEx linkage (n = 10/67 food categories)	−
Food categories selected for the exposure assessment: inclusion of food categories without considering the restriction/exception (n = 2/67 food categories)	+
Food categories included in the exposure assessment: no data available for authorised food categories (n = 39/67 food categories)	−
The 14 food categories which were taken into account in the refined exposure assessment scenarios out of all authorised foods (n = 67), corresponded to only 11–72% of the amount (g of foods by body weight) of food consumption documented in the EFSA Consumption Database.	−
Maximum level exposure assessment scenario: exposure calculations based on the maximum reported use levels (reported use from industry) foods which may contain tara gum (E 417) according to Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 not taken into account	+ −
Refined exposure assessment scenarios: exposure calculations based on the maximum or mean levels (reported use from industry) foods which may contain tara gum (E 417) according to Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 not taken into account	+/− −

^a+, uncertainty with potential to cause over‐estimation of exposure; −, uncertainty with potential to cause underestimation of exposure.