23 24 November 2026
Brussels
Decoding the Microbiome: From Knowledge Gaps to Actionable Regulatory Science
The 2026 Scientific Colloquium on Microbiomes, co-organised by EFSA and INRAE, will take place on 23–24 November in Brussels. Bringing together scientists, regulatory experts and other stakeholders, the event will explore how advances in microbiome science can be better integrated into food and feed safety risk assessment.
Details and registration
23 November 2026, 09:00–18:00 (CET)
24 November 2026, 09:00–13:00 (CET)
📍 Brussels, Belgium
- Deadline: 14 September
- The event will be held in person only and in English. No interpretation will be provided.
Who should attend?
The event is intended for scientists, regulatory experts and other stakeholders with expertise at the interface of microbiome science and risk assessment. Participation is particularly aimed at experts combining scientific knowledge of microbiomes with experience or familiarity with risk assessment processes, as well as academic researchers working on related regulatory science questions.
Representatives of national competent authorities, international organisations, research institutions and industry are encouraged to apply. Participation is limited to 120 participants, including speakers and experts already identified by EFSA and co-organisers. A selection process will ensure representation of relevant fields of expertise, stakeholder groups and geographical areas.
Background
The role of the microbiome in human and animal health is one of the most rapidly advancing areas within life sciences, with growing relevance for food and feed safety risk assessment. Microbiome-related considerations are already emerging in areas such as pesticides, novel foods and food and feed additives, while regulatory applications involving complex microbial community products are expected in the near future. However, the methodological tools, evidence standards and regulatory science frameworks needed to systematically incorporate microbiome data into risk assessment remain limited.
Significant efforts have been made across the regulatory science community to identify these gaps and document where further scientific development is needed for regulatory purposes. The 2026 Scientific Colloquium on Microbiomes builds on this foundation, exploring what actions are needed to address them, in what order and by whom.
The colloquium addresses two areas where microbiome-related regulatory science challenges are particularly pressing.
- The first concerns chemicals such as pesticides, food and feed additives and contaminants, where the gut microbiome may both be affected by chemical exposure and influence it through biotransformation.
- The second concerns the safety assessment of biological and microbiome-based products, including complex microbial feed additives and next-generation probiotics. Both areas will be considered from human and animal health perspectives.
The colloquium is co-organised by EFSA and INRAE, with the French organisation also co-coordinating the World Microbiome Partnership, reflecting the importance of international collaboration in advancing microbiome regulatory science.
Objectives of the event
The overarching objective of the colloquium is to assess the maturity of available microbiome science relative to regulatory risk assessment needs, and to define the actions required to bridge the gap between existing scientific knowledge and its use in food and feed safety risk assessments.
The discussions will focus on three main outcomes:
- A structured maturity assessment, identifying what is approaching regulatory science readiness, what requires further development for integration into risk assessment, and what requires longer-term research.
- Priority regulatory science actions, including the evidence standards, methods, data and reporting standards needed to incorporate microbiome data into regulatory decisions and submissions.
- A gap-closing action plan, identifying responsibilities and priorities for regulatory science organisations and their partners, international coordination and longer-term research investment.
Structure of the event
Following an opening plenary session, participants will break into four parallel discussion groups:
- Chemicals and the Microbiome — Human Health Risk Assessment
- Chemicals and the Microbiome — Animal Health Risk Assessment
- Biological and Microbiome Products — Human Health Risk Assessment
- Biological and Microbiome Products — Animal Health Risk Assessment
The outcomes of the discussion groups will be presented and discussed during a final plenary session on Day 2. EFSA will publish a short report summarising the discussions, together with the presentations shared at the event.
