Risk assessmentindependent cross-checkabstract checked★ key study I-MEAT-105 in-depth review
EFSA: eat liver at most once a month, never in pregnancy
Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for preformed vitamin A and β-carotene.
Overview
EFSA NDA Panel et al.. EFSA J 2024 · PMID 38846679 · DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8814
Europeans are unlikely to exceed the vitamin A safety limit if liver and offal are eaten once a month or less; pregnant women should avoid liver products.
Does the study support the specific claim? No · Methodological quality: high
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
Set a safe upper limit for vitamin A.
- How was the study done?
EFSA systematic risk assessment.
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
Not applicable.
- What was actually found?
UL 3000 ug/day; liver should be limited.
- How large was the observed effect?
Not applicable.
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Liver is not a food to eat without limits, and not at all in pregnancy.
- What are the study's limitations?
None major.
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Contradicts unrestricted liver.
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
Direct.
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
It does not address gout.
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- EFSA NDA Panel et al.
- Journal
- EFSA J
- Year
- 2024
- Identifier
- PMID 38846679 DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8814
- Verification
- verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-26; Crossref works API 2026-10-26
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
- none
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
EFSA panel; declarations of interest available from EFSA.
2. Research question
What is the tolerable upper intake level for preformed vitamin A and beta-carotene?
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Risk assessment – Scientific risk assessment with systematic reviews (teratogenicity, hepatotoxicity, bone health)
- Population
European population groups including pregnant women
- Country
EU
- Period
not stated in abstract
- Sample size
Not applicable
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria
not detailed in abstract
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
Preformed vitamin A from food and supplements, incl. liver
- Comparator
UL
- Endpoints
Teratogenicity (critical effect), hepatotoxicity, bone health
- Statistical methods
Systematic review; allometric scaling
5. Actual results
- Results
UL for preformed vitamin A retained at 3000 ug RE/day for adults, including women of child-bearing age and pregnant women; teratogenicity is the critical effect. European populations are unlikely to exceed the UL if consumption of liver, offal and products thereof is limited to once per month or less. Women who are planning to become pregnant or who are pregnant are advised not to consume liver products.
- Absolute risks
not reported
- Authors' conclusion
UL 3000 ug RE/day; limit liver/offal to once per month or less; no liver products when planning pregnancy or pregnant.
6. Strengths
- Authoritative EU risk assessment
- Systematic reviews
7. Weaknesses
- Exposure scenarios European
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- none applicable
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- low
- Rationale
Official risk assessment.
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
100 g of bovine liver can contain 1.7-5.6 times the UL (stats/C-MEAT-03_liver_vitaminA.py, using I-MEAT-106 concentrations).
10. Relevance to the specific claim
Directly contradicts an unrestricted allowance of liver and offal: EFSA advises once a month or less, and none in pregnancy or when planning pregnancy.
11. Independent contrary findings
Liver is nutrient-dense (I-EGG-103 modelling).
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
EU; biology universal.
13. Overall methodological judgement
Decisive official evidence for the safety note.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | high |
| Risk of bias | low |
| Precision of results | not applicable |
| Directness | direct |
| Reproducibility | replicated |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | consistent |
| Regional transferability | high |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | not applicable |
14. Open questions
Liver intake frequency among Egyptian followers.
15. Linked fact checks
- Liver and organ meats (lamb liver, beef liver, trotters, head meat, tripe/mumbar, veal) are allowed without a stated frequency limit. – Studies contradicting or limiting the claim