Novel food approvals could be speeded up

New foodstuffs, including fruit and vegetables, could start appearing in EU shops if a regulation to be presented by the European Commission next Wednesday (3 October) wins support from member states.

The proposal to review ten-year-old EU laws on ‘novel foods’ aims to speed up the approval process for exotic and innovative food products. Novel foods is a term used to describe new food products, either goods processed to increase their health benefits, or fruit and vegetables not traditionally eaten in Europe.

Approvals so far include rye bread, cheese and salad dressings developed to lower cholesterol, and noni juice, made from an Asian plant.

Food manufacturers claim that delays and uncertainties in the existing rules put companies off investing in novel foods. According to Beate Kettlitz of the CIAA, the European food and drink association, even the definition of novel foods needs to be clarified.

Novel foods are currently authorised by each member state individually, under EU monitoring, before the other 26 countries decide whether or not they agree with its decision. This has led to different countries applying different definitions, said Kettlitz.

A single authorisation by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), plus a clear definition of novel foods, would help speed things up, she said. She added that the industry also hoped the review proposal would set out a clear timetable for approvals of novel food, together with the possibility for applicants to keep exclusive rights to their product. Current generic approvals mean that competitors can quickly enter the market with imitation products, on the back of investment from the product manufacturer, said the CIAA.

"Research and development is one of the major drivers of the food business," said Kettlitz. "We seriously hope that this new draft legislation will address all the problems with getting innovative products to market."

BEUC, the European consumers’ group, agrees that authorisations should be handed to EFSA. But BEUC warns against rushing to get new products on the market.

"We welcome the current review of the novel food legislation," said a BEUC statement, "but we are concerned that competitiveness and innovation might have more weight in an impact assessment than food safety, public health and consumers’ trust."

New foodstuffs, including fruit and vegetables, could start appearing in EU shops if a regulation to be presented by the European Commission next Wednesday (3 October) wins support from member states.