NOVEL FOOD

Many of the food we consume today were once considered novel when they were first introduced to Europe. New food types and ingredients, whether sourced from various parts of the world or developed through innovative production techniques, continue to find their way to our tables.

In the European Union, any food that was not significantly consumed before May 1997 is classified as a novel food. This category also includes food created using new methods, such as nanotechnology.

The concept of Novel food is defined under EU regulation 2015/2283. Since January 1, 2018, the European Commission is responsible for authorizing any novel food and, as part of this process, requests the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to perform a scientific risk assessment to ensure its safety.

The Commission will only authorize and list a novel food if it meets the following criteria: it must pose no health risk based on available scientific evidence, and its intended use must not lead to a nutritional imbalance.

Once approved for market authorization, the novel food can be sold across the entire European market. This authorization is broad, meaning that any company can market the approved novel food, provided it adheres to the usage conditions, labelling requirements, and specifications.