Table A.1.
Assessment input | Type of uncertainty | Description of the uncertainty | Range of multiplicative factor of MOET at 99.9th percentile of tier IIa | Multiplicative factor identical for all populationsb | Informative notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Consumption data | Excluded data | Animal commodities and plant commodities not in the list of the 30 selected commodities and their processed derivatives were excluded | −/● | No |
Note 1 Note 2 Note 3 |
Ambiguity | The consumption data do not always discriminate between different commodities of a same group (e.g. tomatoes and cherry tomatoes are considered as tomatoes) | ● | Yes | Note 4 | |
Accuracy | The accuracy of the reported amount of food consumed in surveys may be affected by methodological limitations or psychological factors | ● | Yes |
Note 5 Note 6 |
|
Sampling variability | Small population size (number of consumers in the 10 populations) may affect the reliability of risk estimates at 99.9th percentiles | See confidence intervals of MOET estimates at 99.9th percentile of exposure distribution (Tables 1A and 2A) | Note 7 | ||
Sampling bias | Representativeness of the consumption data | −/+ | Yes | Note 8 | |
Use of fixed values | One invariable recipe and conversion factor are used to convert the amount of food consumed into the respective amount of RPC | ● | Yes | Note 9 | |
Occurrence data | Missing data | Active substance/commodity combinations, for which occurrence data are missing and extrapolation from another commodity is not possible, were excluded | ● | Yes | Note 10 |
Excluded data | The contribution of metabolites and degradation products has not been considered | −/● | Yes | Note 11 | |
Ambiguity | The occurrence data do not always discriminate between different commodities of a same group (e.g. tomatoes and cherry tomatoes are considered as tomatoes) | ● | Yes | Note 4 | |
Accuracy | Laboratory analytical uncertainty | ● | Yes | Note 12 | |
Sampling variability | A small number of occurrence data may affect the reliability of risk estimates at 99.9th percentile. This number varies from one pesticide/commodity combination to the other | See confidence intervals of MOET estimates at 99.9th percentile of exposure distribution (Tables 1A and 2A) | Note 7 | ||
Sampling bias | Representativeness of the monitoring data | ●/+ | Yes | Note 13 | |
Extrapolation uncertainty | Extrapolation of occurrence data between crops | ● | Yes | Note 14 | |
Extrapolation uncertainty | Extrapolation of occurrence data between countries | ● | Yes | Note 15 | |
Assumption | Assumption of the active substance present on the commodity in case of unspecific residue definition for monitoring |
−/+ (CAG‐TCF) −−/++ (CAG‐TCP) |
Yes | Note 16 | |
Assumption | Assumption of the authorisation status of all pesticide/commodity combinations | −/● | Yes | Note 17 | |
Assumption | Assumption of the use frequency for authorised pesticide/commodity combinations | −/+ | Yes | Note 18 | |
Assumption | Assumption on the residue level (½ LOQ) when an active substance is used, and its residues are below the LOQ | ● | Yes | Note 31 | |
Assumption | Occurrence of residues in drinking water | ● | Yes | Note 19 | |
Processing factors | Assumption | Pesticide residues are transferred without any loss to processed commodities when processing factors are not available | +/++ | Yes | Note 20 |
Ambiguity | Application of processing factors, derived from a limited number of standardised studies, to the EFSA food classification and description system (FoodEx) | ● | Yes | Note 21 | |
Accuracy | Laboratory analytical uncertainty | ● | Yes | ||
Accuracy | Calculation of processing factors is affected by residue levels below the LOQ | ● | Yes | Note 22 | |
Accuracy | The value of processing factors used in the calculations is the median value of a limited number of independent trials | ● | Yes | Note 23 | |
Excluded data | Some processing factors are not considered (e.g. peeling and washing of commodities with edible peel) | ●/+ | Yes | Note 24 | |
NOAELs | Adequacy of the CAG | Uncertainty on whether the CAG contains all the active substances causing the effect | −/● | Yes | Note 25 |
Adequacy of the CAG | Uncertainty on whether the CAG contains only the active substances causing the effect |
● (CAG‐TCF) ●/+ (CAG‐TCP) |
Yes | Note 26 | |
Accuracy | Uncertainties affecting the characterisation of active substances included in the CAG (quality of data and NOAEL setting process) |
−/● (CAG‐TCF) −/+ (CAG‐TCP) |
Yes | Note 27 |
The range shown is the same for CAG‐TCF and CAG‐TCP unless otherwise indicated.
The experts considered that only the first source of uncertainty was expected, on its own, to have an impact varying between populations, as indicated in this column, but noted that more differences might be expected if multiple uncertainties were considered together.