FSA News Item, 1 September 2010
A Russian company has applied to the Food Standards Agency for approval to market taxifolin as a novel food ingredient. A novel food is a food or food ingredient that does not have a significant history of consumption within the European Union before 15 May 1997.
Taxifolin is extracted from a type of larch wood and has been marketed in Russia and the US for 15-20 years as a food supplement. The company, Ametis JSG, is seeking an authorisation to market taxifolin as a dietary supplement in dairy, meat and confectionery products, as well as in oil and fats, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Before any new food product can be introduced on the European market, it must be assessed rigorously 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).
Deadline for comments
Any comments on the application should be emailed to the ACNFP secretariat at acnfp@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk by Wednesday 22 September 2010. The comments will be considered by the committee when it begins its assessment of this novel food ingredient.