The regulation brings significant improvements and changes to the novel food authorisation procedure. It includes an expanded definition for novel food to account for innovation and technology advances in the food sector, a centralised EU-wide authorisation system of novel foods and of traditional foods from third countries, a list of all authorised novel foods in the EU, and data protection provisions for the applicants.

European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis welcomed the new regulation: ''These changes will make the process of authorising and placing novel food on the European market simpler, quicker and more applicant friendly, while fully ensuring food safety. We hope that this will add to the variety already present on the EU market of healthy, nutritious traditional and innovative foods.'' 

Before being authorised all novel foods must be scientifically proven to be safe to public health. The authorisation then sets out the conditions for their use, their designation as food and labelling requirements.

For more information on the new Novel Food Regulation see here.

Via europa.eu