Search news
Most searched tags
European Commission published draft Proposal for a Regulation on Novel Foods
Published: Monday 14 January 2008
The European Commission released their draft Proposal for a Regulation on Novel Foods. Current rules for the authorisation of novel foods and novel food ingredients (i.e. foods and food ingredients that have not been used for human consumption to a significant degree within the Community before 15 May 1997) are laid out in detail by Regulation EC 258/97 of 27 January 1997 of the European Parliament and the Council.
The EC website explains that ‘under the draft Regulation, novel foods would be subject to centralised authorisation procedure. The Commission will receive the application for authorisation and the European Food Safety Authority will carry out the scientific assessment on the product. […] Moreover, a notification procedure is introduced for foods which have not been traditionally sold in the EU but which have a safe history of use in third countries.’
The draft proposal considers nanotechnologies and –sciences under food production processes:
‘It should also be clarified that a food should be considered as novel when it is applied a production technology which was not previously used. In particular, emerging technologies in breeding and food production processes, which have an impact on food and thus might have an impact on food safety, should be covered by this Regulation. Novel food should therefore include foods derived from plants and animals, produced by non-traditional breeding techniques, and foods modified by new production processes, such as nanotechnology and nanoscience, which might have an impact on food. […]’