Update of the MCRA platform 2026: advanced data connectivity and transition to the operational phase

Abstract The implementation of cumulative risk assessment (CRA) methodology for dietary exposure to mixtures of pesticide residues has been prioritised by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Commission (EC). To support this, the Monte Carlo Risk Assessment (MCRA) platform, a web‐based platform for chemical risk assessment, has been continually enhanced through collaboration between EFSA and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). Improvements in functionality and capacity of MCRA for the purpose of dietary CRA were made in three partnerships. The third partnership (FPA3; 2021‐2026), entitled “Development of the Open MCRA platform” specifically aimed to increase the transparency, accessibility, and interoperability of the MCRA platform, and to facilitate co‐creation and integration with external data sources and models. A key focus under the fourth specific agreement (SA) of this FPA has been the improvement of data connectivity and security. Recent developments include the completion of an automated data transfer workflow using a web application programming interface (API), enabling real‐time and automated retrieval of the latest standard regulatory action (SRA) data from the EFSA data warehouse. Additionally, the data mapping tool was updated to transform retrieved data into MCRA‐compliant datasets to be used in SRAs. Security optimizations were also implemented in response to findings from a recent security quick scan of the MCRA web platform. These enhancements collectively strengthen the platform's capacity to facilitate regulatory CRA, providing risk assessors and managers with improved tooling for conducting both retrospective and prospective risk assessments according to harmonised methodologies.