FSA Press Release, 10 March 2005
The Agency's advisers on novel foods are consulting on two food ingredients that they received applications to market.
Before any new food product can be introduced on the European market it must be rigorously assessed for safety. In the UK , this assessment is carried out by an independent committee of scientists, the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP).
Tagatose
An application from Bioresco, acting on behalf of Arla Food Ingredients, wants a sugar, D-Tagatose, to be approved as a novel food ingredient. D-Tagatose has a similar structure to fructose and is naturally present in heat-treated dairy products.
Bioresco wants to use D-Tagatose in a variety of products, including selected varieties of baked goods, drinks, confectionery and ready-to-eat cereals.
[See below for more information]
Noni juice
Under the simplified procedure for approving novel foods, the company Mi GmbH has asked for an opinion on the equivalence of an unfermented noni juice (from the fruit of Morinda citrifolia L).
Noni juice comes from the fruit commonly known as 'noni'. But it's also known as 'Indian mulberry' and 'nonu'. It is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia and to have been distributed subsequently by ancient voyagers or other means into the Pacific islands, including Tahiti and Hawaii .
Mi GmbH wish to market a unfermented, pasteurised noni juice called ‘green noni' as a novel food ingredient, to be used in pasteurised fruit drinks.
An application for noni juice was approved on 5 June 2003 . But this approval applies to the applicant company only. However, Regulation (EC) 258/97 makes provision for novel foods or ingredients that are 'substantially equivalent' to an existing product to be placed on the market once the applicant has informed the European Commission. This is normally done on the basis of an opinion on equivalence from a Member State .
Mi GmbH are requesting such an opinion from the UK claiming that their product is substantially equivalent to the approved noni juice produced by Natures Products Ltd which is currently on the EU market.
Any comments on these applications should be sent to the ACNFP Secretariat by 30 March 2005 and will be passed to the Committee before it finalises its opinions on these products.
[See below for more information]
March 2005: Application from Bioresco, acting on behalf of Arla Food Ingredients, to approve D-Tagatose as a novel food ingredient. Under evaluation.
D-Tagatose is a sugar, with a similar structure to fructose and is naturally present in heat-treated dairy products.
The applicant proposes to market D-Tagatose as a novel food ingredient in the EU in a variety of products, (including selected varieties of baked goods, beverages, confectionery and ready-to-eat cereals) slightly less sweet than table sugar and provides less energy.
Approval is sought under Novel Foods Regulation (EC) No 258/97.
Before any new food product can be introduced on the European market it must be rigorously assessed for safety. In the UK , the assessment of novel foods is carried out by an independent committee of scientists appointed by the Food Standards Agency, the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP).
Any comments on this application should be sent to the ACNFP Secretariat by 29 March 2005 and will be passed to the Committee before it finalises its opinion on this novel food.
For more details see the FSA web site at: http://www.food.gov.uk/science/ouradvisors/novelfood/assess/fullapplics/tagatose
March 2005: Application from Mi GmbH for an opinion on the equivalence of noni juice (from the fruit of Morinda citrifolia L). Under evaluation.
About noni juice
Noni juice comes from the fruit commonly known as 'noni'. But it's also known as 'Indian mulberry' and 'nonu'. It is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia and to have been distributed subsequently by ancient voyagers or other means into the Pacific islands, including Tahiti and Hawaii .
The plant is also found in India , Africa and the West Indies . It resembles a small evergreen shrub or tree that grows from three to six metres. Its fruit are green until maturity, when they rapidly turn to a light yellow and then a translucent white.
Background
Mi GmbH wishes to market a unfermented, pasteurised noni juice called 'green noni' as a novel food ingredient, to be used in pasteurised fruit drinks.
An application for noni juice (juice of the fruit of Morinda citrifolia L) made under the Novel Foods Regulation (EC) 258/97 was approved on 5 June 2003 . This approval applies to the applicant company only. However, Regulation (EC) 258/97 makes provision for novel foods or ingredients that are 'substantially equivalent' to an existing product to be placed on the market once the applicant has informed the European Commission. This is normally done on the basis of an opinion on equivalence from a Member State . Mi GmbH are requesting such an opinion from the UK claiming that their product is substantially equivalent to the approved noni juice produced by Natures Products Ltd which is currently on the EU market.
Any comments on this request for an opinion application should be sent to the ACNFP Secretariat by 30 March 2005 and will be passed to the Committee before it finalises its opinion on this novel food.
For more details, see the FSA web site at: http://www.food.gov.uk/science/ouradvisors/novelfood/assess/simproc/nonimigmbh