This study allowed to have a global and clearer vision of these procedures, with the focus on highlighting inconsistency and to propose speed up alternatives. Semagacestat cell line Finally, this work will also facilitate not only the risk assessment but also the decision-making on the approval of active substances and the authorisation of plant protection products.The current risk assessment was performed in the context of the European Food Risk Assessment Fellowship Programme (EU-FORA) supported by EFSA and was intended to evaluate possible health risks associated with the consumption of Annona muricata L. (Annonaceae) and derived food supplements. A. muricata grows as a tree and is native to the Caribbean and Central America. Preparations made from different plant parts of A. muricata (i.e. fruit, leaves, bark, roots) have been used as herbal medicine and are also marketed worldwide as over-the-counter food supplements that have been purported to support general health or to treat a wide range of health conditions, particularly cancer and parasitic infections. However, open questions remain regarding the safety of A. muricata-based food supplements, since Annonaceae have been reported to contain potentially neurotoxic compounds, i.e. acetogenins. The assessment conducted within the present fellowship programme shows that substantial uncertainties exist regarding the safe use of A. muricata-based supplements. The available data provide indications of neurotoxic potential of certain A. muricata preparations. The paucity of adequate studies, particularly related to long-term use of A. muricata supplements, currently does not allow the establishment of a safe intake level. Within this technical report a workflow of the project is presented.The EUropean FOod Risk Assessment (EU-FORA) Fellowship work programme ‘Livestock Health and Food Chain Risk Assessment’, funded by EFSA was proposed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), UK. A scientist with a PhD in Food Science was selected to work within the Biomathematics and Risk Research group, under the guidance of a senior risk assessor. The programme consisted of four different modules that covered a wide range of aspects related to risk assessment (RA). The aims, activities and conclusions obtained during the year are described in this article. The learning-by-doing approach in RA allowed the fellow to discover a broad pool of methodologies, tools and applications while developing his own knowledge in RA, as well as gaining scientific network for future collaborations in the field.The European Food Risk Assessment Fellowship Programme (EU-FORA) is an initiative by EFSA, aimed at building scientific capacity in food safety risk assessment in the EU. Current paper reports on the activities of this fellow, undertaken in participation of the third, 2019-2020 cycle of the EU-FORA programme while placed at the University of Porto, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, in Portugal. The work programme offered by the hosting site was related to risk assessment on food additives and contaminants. The fellow’s hands-on work consisted of two practical exercises, which aimed to assess the exposure to the 10 intense sweeteners authorised in the EU and a process contaminant, acrylamide, for the Portuguese general population.Food contact materials (FCM) can contain chemicals that could migrate from the material itself to the foodstuff posing health concerns if ingested in non-safe quantities by the consumer. FCM include containers, packaging, machinery or kitchenware and can be made from different materials like plastics, paper and board, metal or glass. Printing inks are also an important part of FCM. FCM have an important role in preventing damage or spoilage of the foodstuff and are essential along the food chain. Therefore, their safety needs to be carefully assessed in order to reduce the exposure to potentially hazardous substances and protect the health of the consumer. At the EU level, the legislation on FCM establishes general safety requirements for FCM. In addition, for certain materials, specific measures concerning usage and release of substances have been set. For materials or articles not specifically regulated in this harmonised framework, safety must be proven on a case-by-case basis. National legislations and lists of substances evaluated by competent authorities are important data sources in this context. One of the most important databases are the ‘BfR Recommendations on Food Contact Materials’ and the soon to come German national regulation on printing inks. BfR Unit 74, besides dealing with chemical risk assessment of FCM, is responsible for the evaluation of application dossiers for including substances into the BfR recommendations on FCM or the substance list of the printing inks regulation. Through the proposed work programme the fellow has been involved in risk assessment of substances that migrate from FCM into foodstuff gaining experience in the methodologies used to perform the scientific data evaluation as well as to support the BfR Unit 74s work.The EU-FORA Fellowship Programme ‘Integration of tools and social science into food safety risk assessments’ was proposed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the government department responsible for food safety in the UK. The working programme was organised into four modules, covering different areas of risk assessment, including microbiological risk assessment, chemical risk assessment, exposure assessment, risk prioritisation and the integration of risk assessment with social science. During this period, the fellow had the unique opportunity to gain experience in different fields of risk assessment, namely how to conduct a systematic review, to assess the risk of microbiological and chemical hazards, to make use of modelling tools for exposure assessment and risk prioritisation, to write scientific reports for committees and networks at the national level and to understand the role of social science in risk assessment. In addition, the fellow was able to attend several meetings, seminars, courses and workshops that helped him to gain further insight in the field of food science. The complete programme enabled a fast learning curve that allowed the fellow to have an overview of the different tools that can be employed in the wide field of food safety risk assessment, in order to acquire skills and competences that can be used in his future career.