Novel foods authorisation guidance
Novel foods are any food that was not used for human consumption to a significant degree within the United Kingdom (UK) or the European Union (EU) before 15 May 1997. This means that the foods don’t have a ‘history of consumption’. Examples of novel foods include:
- new foods, for example, phytosterols and phytostanols used in cholesterol reducing spreads
- traditional foods eaten elsewhere in the world, for example, chia seeds, baobab
- foods produced from new processes, for example, bread treated with ultraviolet light to increase the level of vitamin D present
Novel foods need to be authorised before they can be placed on the market in Great Britain (GB). The placing of novel foods on the market in GB must be in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. There are two authorisation routes:
- traditional food notification
- full application