Guidance on the scientific requirements for an application for authorisation of a novel food in the context of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283.

The European Commission requested EFSA to update the scientific guidance for the preparation of applications for authorisation of novel foods, previously developed following the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 on novel foods. This guidance document provides advice on the scientific information needed to be submitted by the applicant towards demonstrating the safety of the novel food. Requirements pertain to the description of the novel food, production process, compositional data, specifications, proposed uses and use levels and anticipated intake of the novel food.

Is the Articulatory Trajectory of Changing Syllables Important for Achieving Higher Syllable Rates Compared to Repeated Syllables?

Purpose: The production of speech-like sequences composed of varying syllables has been reported to achieve higher syllable rates than the production of repeated syllables (commonly designed as sequential motion rate [SMR] and alternating motion rate [AMR] tasks, respectively). The faster rate for SMR relative to AMR sequences is explained by different interpretative hypotheses, which remain empirically unexplored. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether the high syllable rates of SMR sequences are due to the specific sequences used in most studies that involve front-to-back articulatory movements.

Are brain activity changes underlying rare word production after learning specific or do they extend to semantically related rare words?

Learning words in the mother tongue is a fundamental lifelong skill that involves complex cognitive and neural changes. In adults, newly learned words affect the organization of the lexical-semantic network and, compared to words that have been in the lexicon for longer, they activate the same cortical areas, but more extensively and/or intensively. It is however still unclear (1) which brain and cognitive processes underlying word production change when infrequent/unknown words are compared before and after learning and (2) whether integrating newly learned words impacts word specific processes or has a broader impact on unlearned words.

Novel foods, food enzymes, and food additives derived from food by-products of plant or animal origin: principles and overview of the EFSA safety assessment.

The European Union (EU) is committed to transitioning toward a circular economy model, with food waste being one of the areas to be targeted. To close the loop of food waste generated during food processing and discarded at the retail or consumption phases, research and innovation parties proposed to valorize agro-food by-products to produce novel foods and food improvement agents (food additives, food enzymes, and food flavorings). In the EU, the authorization of such novel foods and food improvement agents is governed by different regulatory frameworks.

Neural mechanisms underlying improved new-word learning with high-density transcranial direct current stimulation.

Neurobehavioral studies have provided evidence for the effectiveness of anodal tDCS on language production, by stimulation of the left Inferior Frontal Gyrus (IFG) or of left Temporo-Parietal Junction (TPJ). However, tDCS is currently not used in clinical practice outside of trials, because behavioral effects have been inconsistent and underlying neural effects unclear. Here, we propose to elucidate the neural correlates of verb and noun learning and to determine if they can be modulated with anodal high-definition (HD) tDCS stimulation.

Asynchronous behavioral and neurophysiological changes in word production in the adult lifespan.

Behavioral and brain-related changes in word production have been claimed to predominantly occur after 70 years of age. Most studies investigating age-related changes in adulthood only compared young to older adults, failing to determine whether neural processes underlying word production change at an earlier age than observed in behavior. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating whether changes in neurophysiological processes underlying word production are aligned with behavioral changes.

The encoding of speech modes in motor speech disorders: whispered versus normal speech in apraxia of speech and hypokinetic dysarthria.

Speakers with motor speech disorders (MSD) present challenges in speech production, one of them being the difficulty to adapt their speech to different modes. However, it is unclear whether different types of MSD are similarly affected when it comes to adapting their speech to various communication contexts. This study investigates the encoding of speech modes in individuals with AoS following focal brain damage and in individuals with hypokinetic dysarthria (HD) secondary to Parkinson's disease.

Re-evaluation of erythritol (E 968) as a food additive.

This opinion addresses the re-evaluation of erythritol (E 968) as food additive and an application for its exemption from the laxative warning label requirement as established under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. Erythritol is a polyol obtained by fermentation with BC or KW3-6, followed by purifications and drying. Erythritol is readily and dose-dependently absorbed in humans and can be metabolised to erythronate to a small extent.

Referential and inferential production across the lifespan: different patterns and different predictive cognitive factors.

Introduction: The ability to speak is grounded in general memory and control processes and likely changes across the lifespan. However, our knowledge on how word production abilities naturally evolve from childhood to old age remains marginally investigated. Our aim was to shed further light on this issue by exploiting the contrast between two ways to elicit word production: referential picture naming and inferential naming from definition.

Time-course of phonetic (motor speech) encoding in utterance production.

Speaking involves the preparation of the linguistic content of an utterance and of the motor programs leading to articulation. The temporal dynamics of linguistic versus motor-speech (phonetic) encoding is highly debated: phonetic encoding has been associated either to the last quarter of an utterance preparation time (∼150ms before articulation), or to virtually the entire planning time, simultaneously with linguistic encoding. We (i) review the evidence on the time-course of motor-speech encoding based on EEG/MEG event-related (ERP) studies and (ii) strive to replicate the early effects of phonological-phonetic factors in referential word production by reanalysing a large EEG/ERP dataset.

Follow-up of the re-evaluation of glycerol esters of wood rosins (E 445) as a food additive.

Glycerol esters of wood rosin (GEWR) (E 445) were re-evaluated in 2018. On the toxicity database and given the absence of reproductive and developmental toxicity data, the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 12.5 mg/kg body weight (bw) per day for GEWR (E 445) established by the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) in 1994 was considered temporary.

What Do Differences between Alternating and Sequential Diadochokinetic Tasks Tell Us about the Development of Oromotor Skills? An Insight from Childhood to Adulthood.

Oral diadochokinetic (DDK) tasks are common research and clinical tools used to test oromotor skills across different age groups. They include alternating motion rate (AMR) and sequential motion rate (SMR) tasks. AMR tasks involve repeating a single syllable, whereas SMR tasks involve repeating varying syllables.

The temporal dynamics of the Stroop effect from childhood to young and older adulthood.

The processes involved in the Stroop task/effect are thought to involve conflict detection and resolution stages. Little is known about the evolution of these two components over the lifespan. It is well admitted that children and older adults tend to show longer response latencies than young adults.

Comparison of In-Person and Online Recordings in the Clinical Teleassessment of Speech Production: A Pilot Study.

In certain circumstances, speech and language therapy is proposed in telepractice as a practical alternative to in-person services. However, little is known about the minimum quality requirements of recordings in the teleassessment of motor speech disorders (MSD) utilizing validated tools. The aim here is to examine the comparability of offline analyses based on speech samples acquired from three sources: (1) in-person recordings with high quality material, serving as the baseline/gold standard; (2) in-person recordings with standard equipment; (3) online recordings from videoconferencing.

Safety assessment of the process Derchia D.C. Plastics, based on the Starlinger deCON technology, used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials.

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of the recycling process Derchia D.C. Plastics (EU register number RECYC258), which uses the Starlinger deCON technology.

Safety assessment of the process Petecoflex, based on the Starlinger deCON technology, used to recycle post-consumer PET into food contact materials.

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes and Processing Aids (CEP) assessed the safety of the recycling process Petecoflex (EU register number RECYC259), which uses the Starlinger deCON technology. The input material is hot washed and dried poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) flakes originating from collected post-consumer PET containers, e.g.

Scientific Guidance on the data required for the risk assessment of flavourings to be used in or on foods.

Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA developed a new scientific guidance to assist applicants in the preparation of applications for the authorisation of flavourings to be used in or on foods. This guidance applies to applications for a new authorisation as well as for a modification of an existing authorisation of a food flavouring, submitted under Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008. It defines the scientific data required for the evaluation of those food flavourings for which an evaluation and approval is required according to Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008.

Differentiation of Motor Speech Disorders through the Seven Deviance Scores from MonPaGe-2.0.s.

For the clinical assessment of motor speech disorders (MSDs) in French, the MonPaGe-2.0.s protocol has been shown to be sensitive enough to diagnose mild MSD based on a combination of acoustic and perceptive scores.

Attentional Demand of Motor Speech Encoding: Evidence From Parkinson's Disease.

Purpose: While the involvement of attention in utterance planning is well established at the conceptual and lexical levels, the attentional demands of postlexical processes are still debated. This study investigates the involvement of attentional resources on motor speech encoding during utterance production in the context of Parkinson's disease (PD), a population allowing to assess if the attentional demands observed in a dual-task paradigm (the dual-task costs [DTCs]) are explained by postlexical difficulties and not solely by executive impairment.

Method: Speech production was analyzed in a dual-task paradigm with 30 participants presenting with motor speech disorders due to hypokinetic dysarthria in the context of PD.

Word Production Changes through Adolescence: A Behavioral and ERP Investigation of Referential and Inferential Naming.

Changes in word production occur across the lifespan, with adolescence representing a knot point between children's and adults' performance and underlying brain processes. Previous studies on referential word production using picture naming tasks have shown a completely adult-like pattern in 17-year-old adolescents and an intermediate pattern between children and adults in adolescents aged 14-16 years old, suggesting a possible involvement of visuo-conceptual processes in the transition from childhood to adulthood. Given the visual nature of the picture naming task, it is unclear whether changes in visuo-conceptual processes are specifically related to the referential word production or if overall changes in conceptual to lexical processes drive maturation.

Perceptual Classification of Motor Speech Disorders: The Role of Severity, Speech Task, and Listener's Expertise.

Purpose: The clinical diagnosis of motor speech disorders (MSDs) is mainly based on perceptual approaches. However, studies on perceptual classification of MSDs often indicate low classification accuracy. The aim of this study was to determine in a forced-choice dichotomous decision-making task (a) how accuracy of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in perceptually classifying apraxia of speech (AoS) and dysarthria is impacted by speech task, severity of MSD, and listener's expertise and (b) which perceptual features they use to classify.

Contribution of acoustic analysis to the detection of vocoid epenthesis in apraxia of speech and other motor speech disorders.

Background: Vocoid epenthesis within consonant clusters has been claimed to contribute to the diagnosis of apraxia of speech. In clinical practice, the clinicians often doubt about the correct production of clusters as the C-C transition may be minimally disrupted.

Aims: To demonstrate the value of acoustic analysis in clinical practice as a reliable complement to perceptive judgment.

Longitudinal study of speech and dual-task performance in Parkinson's disease patients treated with subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation.

Introduction: Impairments in speech and executive functions are both observed in Parkinson's disease (PD) and might be influenced by subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS). We investigated the effects of STN-DBS on speech and executive functions and their mutual interference in PD.

Methods: 14 PD patients eligible for bilateral STN-DBS (PD-DBS), and 16 PD patients with best medical treatment (PD-BMT) were included.