Novel food is food or food ingredients that:

• Are not used in significant quantities before 15 May 1997 in human food in the European Union and/or
• Which belong to one of the following categories:
  • food or food ingredients with a new primary molecular structure or intentionally modified;
  • food or food ingredients composed of micro-organisms, fungi or algae or obtained from these;
  • food or food ingredients composed of plants or isolated from these, and ingredients obtained from animals, except food and food ingredients obtained from traditional practices of multiplication or selection, and with a safe record of use as a food;  
  • food or food ingredients whose basically undesirable values as a food, metabolism or content were significantly modified by applying an unusual method of production.

Information to operators to demonstrate that a product has a history of safe and significant consumption in human food prior to 15 May 1997 and, therefore, does not require authorisation under Regulation (EC) 258/1997. Guide Document (only available in English)

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