News: Novel Food
The European Commission authorised three further novel foods as traditional food from a third country in 2024:
- Protein concentrate from Lemna gibba and Lemna minor,
- Bambara (Vigna subterranea) seeds and –flour, as well as
- Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei) stem juice
The authorisations are based on scientific opinions and a technical report of the European Food Safety Authority respectively (EFSA Journal 2023;21(4):7903 EFSA Supporting publication 2024:EN-8571; EFSA Journal. 2024;22:e8645.).
Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 on novel foods introduced for the first time the category of foods consisting of, isolated from or produced from cell or tissue cultures of animals, plants, micro-organisms, fungi or algae (Art. 3 para. 2 a) vi)).
In November, the EU Commission approved two more Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) as novel foods. These include:
- 3-Fucosyllactose produced by a derived strain of Escherichia coli K-12 DH1
- 6′-Sialyllactose sodium salt produced by a derived strain of Escherichia coli W (ATCC 9637)
The EU Commission approves another Human Milk Oligosaccharide (HMO) as a novel food in June:
- 6′-Sialyllactose sodium salt, produced by a derived strains of Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)
The European Commission authorised the following novel foods as traditional food from a third country in February and March 2023:
- dried nuts of Canarium ovatum Engl., commonly known as Pili nuts, and
- dried nuts of Canarium indicum L., called “Kenari nuts”
The European Commission authorised the following three milk oligosaccharides as novel food in January 2023:
- Lacto-N-tetraose produced by derivative strains of Escherichia coli BL21(DE3),
- 3-Fucosyllactose produced by a derivative strain of Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and
- 3’-Sialyllactose sodium salt produced by derivative strains of Escherichia coli BL21(DE3).
In all 3 cases the applicant only is authorised to place on the market within the Union the novel food, for a period of 5 years from the date of entry into force of this Regulation, unless a subsequent applicant obtains an authorisation for that novel food without reference to the scientific data protected pursuant to Article 3 or with the agreement of the applicant.
The European Commission authorised further insects as novel food in January 2023:
- Acheta domesticus (house cricket) partially defatted powder and
- frozen, paste, dried and powder forms of Alphitobius diaperinus larvae (lesser mealworm).
In both cases only the applicant is authorised to place on the market within the Union the novel food, for a period of 5 years from the date of entry into force of this Regulation, unless a subsequent applicant obtains an authorisation for that novel food without reference to the scientific data protected pursuant to Article 3 or with the agreement of the applicant.
With Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/965 of 21 June 2022, the kernels from the edible variety of Jatropha curcas L. were authorised as a novel food and included in the Union list of authorised novel foods (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470). The Regulation is applicable from 12 July 2022. For a period of 5 years, only the original applicant, the company 'JatroSolutions GmbH', may place the novel food on the Union market.
With the implementing regulation (EU) 2022/47, the pulp of the coffee cherry, dried or as an infusion thereof, was approved as a novel food. The regulation is applicable from 03 February 2022. The placing on the market of the novel food is not limited to the two applicants.
On 5 December 2021, the migratory locust (Locusta migratoria) was authorised as a novel food (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1975). For a period of 5 years, only the original applicant, the Dutch company Fair Insects BV, may place the novel food on the market.
The migratory locust is thus, after the yellow mealworm, the second insect species to be authorised as a novel Food in Europe. Frozen, dried or powdered migratory locusts may be marketed as such, as well as in the following food categories:
On 5 December 2021, the miracle berry (Synsepalum dulcificum) was authorised as a novel food (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1974). For a period of 5 years, only the original applicant, the Spanish company Medicinal Gardens S.L., may place the novel food on the market.
In July 2021, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published three opinions concerning novel food safety evaluations on calcium fructoborate, Locusta migratoria, and calcidiol.
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