Novel Foods Regulation Proposal

On 14 January 2008 the European Commission published a proposal for a Regulation laying down harmonised rules for the placing of Novel Foods on the market in the Community. 

Novel foods such as sterols (e.g. used in yellow fat spreads) to lower blood cholesterol levels, lycopene (e.g. used in soups), for which it is claimed that it may help prevent certain cancers, and salatrims used in reduced fat bakery products and confectionary must be safe and offer benefits to consumers to be allowed on the market. There should be no danger to consumers’ health should consumers ingest combinations of novel foods. Finally, novel foods should be clearly labelled, so that consumers can make well-informed choices.

The current proposal needs to be improved. We call for the following:

• the definition of what is meant by novel foods should be clarified and elaborated;
• all novel foods should be subject to long-term monitoring;
• a transparent appraisal procedure for foods with no history of safe use in the EU should be applied;
• consumers should be enabled to make informed choices regarding the use of novel foods and not be misled as to their properties.