Europe's novel food list comes under fire

Europe's health product manufacturers have expressed concern over the European Commission's recently published Novel Food Catalogue. The Brussels-based European Federation of Associations of Health Product Manufacturers (EHPM) is worried that the catalogue could prejudice the commercial viability of some of its members' products.

The Novel Food Catalogue lists certain ingredients that may fall within the scope of Europe's Novel Food Regulation and outlines the history of their use in Europe. Although the Commission has stated that the catalogue is not legally binding, EHPM is worried that some EU states may take the catalogue as a legal reference and therefore, once an ingredient appears in the catalogue, they may consider it as a novel food ingredient.

"This will have a commercial impact on products without giving the industry the opportunity to provide information to prove the ingredient should not have novel food status," said Lorene Courrege, EHPM director of regulatory affairs.

According to the European Commission, some 53 applications for novel food status were made between 1997 and 2004, with 14 approved for commercialisation and two refused.