FSA News Item, 11 June 2007
The Agency's expert advisers on novel foods and processes have formed an initial opinion to approve two applications to market novel food ingredients.
The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes is calling for comments on its two draft opinions on refined echium oil and baobab dried fruit pulp.
Echium oil is a vegetable oil rich in omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is obtained by super fefining oil extracted from the seeds of Echium plantagineum. Croda Chemicals Europe Ltd wants to use its refined echium oil as a novel food ingredient in a range of food products (including milk and yoghurt based drinks, breakfast cereals and nutrition bars) and in food supplements.
Baobab dried fruit pulp is derived from the fruits of the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata), also known as the 'upside down tree'.
PhytoTrade Africa proposes to market a baobab dried fruit pulp as a novel food ingredient for use in a range of food products such as smoothies and cereal bars. The level of baobab dried fruit pulp in this product will be between 5 and 15%. The applicant also intends to market a de-pectinated baobab fruit pulp as a novel food ingredient for use in other food products such as biscuits, confectionery, and other related food products.
Novel foods are foods that do not have a significant history of consumption within the European Union before May 1997. Such foods are subject to a pre-market safety assessment before a decision is made on whether they can be marketed in the EU.
The ACNFP is a non-statutory, independent body of scientific experts that advises the Food Standards Agency on any matters relating to novel foods (including genetically modified foods) and novel processes (including food irradiation).
Any comments on the ACNFP's draft opinion should be sent to the ACNFP secretariat by 20 June 2007.