EFSA releases novel and traditional food guidance documents

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released two guidance documents on novel and traditional food from other countries in order to ensure food safety before risk managers decide whether they can be marketed in Europe.

Last November, EFSA developed the guidance following the adoption of the new European regulation on novel food.

Coming into effect next January, the new regulation will replace the previous one from 1997, and introduces a centralised assessment and authorisation procedure.

EU risk managers will decide on the market authorisation of novel foods and may ask EFSA to conduct a scientific risk assessment to confirm their safety.

Novel food refers to that food that has not been consumed by the European citizens in a significant degree prior to May 1997.

The novel foods includes food from new sources such as oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids from krill, food obtained through the application of new technologies (nanotechnology), or by using new substances such as phytosterols or plant sterols.

The new guidance document presents all the information to the applicants responsible for providing risk assessment reports.

The documents also specify the guidelines on how to present this information before EFSA can assess the safety of the novel or traditional food.

Applicants submitting novel food applications have to include all the data describing the product, including data on the compositional, nutritional, toxicological and allergenic properties of the novel food, as well as information relating to the production process.

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Image: EFSA releases novel and traditional food guidance documents. Photo: courtesy of European Food Safety Authority.