{"topic_id":"EFSA_OpenFoodTox_3_toxref_values_distribution","category":"efsa","context":"---\ntopic_id: EFSA_OpenFoodTox_3_toxref_values_distribution\ncategory: efsa\ntitle: EFSA OpenFoodTox 3.0 toxicological reference values distribution — 19748 records, 1007 ADI, 348 UL, 577 ARfD, 18608 \"Other\" (TDI/TWI/AI/RfD)\nlang: en\nsource: OFT3.0_export_repository.xlsx\ndate_parsed: 2026-07-20\ntokens_estimated: 580\n---\n\nThe `FLEX_SUM.ToxRefValues` sheet in EFSA OpenFoodTox 3.0\n(Zenodo record 19388272, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.19388272) contains 19747\ndata rows across 80 columns (max_row=19748 including the header row). Each row represents a toxicological\nreference value assigned by EFSA to a substance, derived from a\nspecific dossier assessment. The sheet covers human health hazard\ncharacteristics only; animal health reference values (relevant for\npet food formulation) are encoded separately in the dossier-level\nmetadata.\n\n## Reference value type distribution\n\nThe dataset uses five distinct reference value schemas, each tied to\na different regulatory question:\n\n| Reference Value | Schema | Count | Share |\n|-----------------|--------|------:|------:|\n| ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) | chronic, consumer | 1007 | 5.1% |\n| AOEL (Acceptable Operator Exposure Level) | chronic, occupational | 607 | 3.1% |\n| AAOEL (Acute AOEL) | acute, occupational | 162 | 0.8% |\n| ARfD (Acute Reference Dose) | acute, consumer | 577 | 2.9% |\n| Other Reference Values | flexible schema (UL/AI/TDI/TWI/AOEC/MTDI/RfD/AAOEC) | 18608 | 94.2% |\n| **Total reference value instances** | | **20961** | **106.1%** |\n\nNote: total counts to 106.1% because individual substances can carry\nmultiple reference values per row (one row may have an ADI plus an\nOther RefValue descriptor). The 19747 data row total is the number of\nsubstance-endpoint combinations; the 20961 reference value instances\nis the count of populated fields across those rows.\n\n## \"Other\" reference value descriptor distribution (18608 rows)\n\nThe Other schema covers 9 distinct descriptor types, with 17980\n(96.6%) carrying literal value `other::` and no further specification:\n\n| Descriptor | Count | Meaning |\n|------------|------:|---------|\n| `other::` (descriptor not specified) | 17980 | 96.6% of Other rows |\n| UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) | 348 | upper intake limit for nutrients/vitamins |\n| AI (Adequate Intake) | 164 | intake level assumed adequate for groups |\n| TDI (Tolerable Daily Intake) | 74 | non-carcinogenic chronic intake limit |\n| TWI (Tolerable Weekly Intake) | 22 | weekly intake limit (e.g. heavy metals) |\n| AOEC (Acceptable Operator Exposure Concentration) | 10 | air concentration limit for workers |\n| MTDI (Maximum TDI) | 4 | group TDI across multiple sources |\n| RfD (Reference Dose, US-EPA-style) | 4 | EPA-derived chronic reference |\n| AAOEC (Acute AOEC) | 2 | acute air concentration limit |\n\n**Data quality flag**: 17980 of 18608 \"Other\" rows (96.6%) carry the\nliteral `other::` descriptor. EFSA populated the record but did not\nspecify which reference value type applies. This is a major data\ngap — the bulk of the 19748-row dataset has un-classified reference\nvalue semantics. Cross-referencing back to the parent dossier\n(`Document UUID` → `Parent UUID` → `DOSSIER.Domain.FoodDomain`)\nwould be required to recover the actual reference type.\n\n## ADI unit distribution (1007 records)\n\n| Unit | Count | Share |\n|------|------:|------:|\n| mg/kg bw/day | 962 | 95.5% |\n| mg/kg bw | 23 | 2.3% |\n| µg/kg bw/day | 15 | 1.5% |\n| mg/person/day | 6 | 0.6% |\n| g/person/day | 1 | 0.1% |\n\nThe dominant unit **mg/kg bw/day** (milligrams per kilogram body\nweight per day) is the standard EFSA ADI unit for chronic consumer\nexposure assessment. The single `g/person/day` row is unusual — likely\na macronutrient (energy/sugar/fat allowance) rather than a chemical\nhazard threshold.\n\n## ADI numerical range\n\nAcross 1007 numeric ADI values: minimum 5e-05 mg/kg bw/day (highly\npotent substance, possibly a mycotoxin or pesticide), maximum\n600.0 mg/kg bw/day (a low-toxicity substance, possibly an essential\nnutrient such as a vitamin C or amino acid). The range spans more\nthan 7 orders of magnitude, reflecting the diversity of substances\nEFSA evaluates.\n\n## ADI Population (intended consumer group)\n\n| Population | Count |\n|------------|------:|\n| consumers (general) | 1218 |\n| adults | 3 |\n| infants | 3 |\n| toddlers | 1 |\n| children | 1 |\n\n**1218 of 1226 ADI Population records (99.3%) target \"consumers\"** —\nthe general population including infants, children, and adults.\nSub-population-specific ADIs (infants only, toddlers only) are rare\n(7 records total, 0.6%) and used for substances with heightened\nsensitivity in early-life stages (e.g. nitrates, lead).\n\n## Pet food relevance\n\nEFSA's toxicological reference values in this sheet are calibrated\nfor human consumers, not pets. Pet food formulation uses a\ndifferent derivation path:\n\n- **NOAEL × UF (uncertainty factor)** = reference value for target\n  species. EFSA publishes NOAELs in dossier-level records but the\n  derived pet-specific reference values are not in this dataset.\n- **Maximum residue limits / transfer factors** for veterinary drug\n  residues crossing from livestock feed to pet food (rare) are\n  sourced separately under Reg 470/2009.\n\nThe 1007 ADI values are nonetheless relevant to pet food safety in\ntwo scenarios:\n1. **Carry-over contamination** — when a feed additive or\n   contaminant is regulated for humans, the same value is often\n   applied as a default safety threshold for pets.\n2. **Cross-validation** — pet-specific NOAELs can be compared\n   against human ADIs to flag substances where the safety margin\n   is unexpectedly tight (e.g. where the human ADI × species\n   conversion factor leaves <10× safety margin for the pet).\n\nSource: `toxicology/efsa/OFT3.0_export_repository.xlsx`,\nsheet `FLEX_SUM.ToxRefValues` (19748 rows × 80 cols).\nPet-specific reference value derivation requires\nparent-dossier join and substance-level NOAEL extraction.","sources":[],"tokens_estimated":580,"generated_at":null,"tip":"Use /api/v1/topics to discover more topics. /api/v1/nutrient for precise single-point queries. /api/v1/cross_compare for 2-3 standard comparisons."}