Foodlaw-Reading Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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Food Law News - UK - 2021

FSA Consultation, 17 December 2021

NOVEL FOODS – FSA Consultation: Applications for six novel foods

FSA Consultation on applications for six novel foods A copy of the consultation document is available on this site (click on image). Provided under the Open Government Licence. The original document was accessed from:

The consultation closes on 11 February 2022. For more details, go to the FSA Novel Food Consultation Page. The consultation relates to the following 6 substances (see the consultation documente for details).

• 3’‐Sialyllactose (3’‐SL) (new)
• 6'‐Sialyllactose (6'‐SL) (new)
• 2’-Fucosyllactose / difucosyllactose mixture (“2’-FL/DFL mixture”) (extension of use for current authorisation)
• DHA-rich algal oil from Schizochytrium sp strain WZU477 (extension of use for current authorisation)
• DHA 550 (application to increase the daily intake of DHA from this source to 1000 mg/day) (extension of use for current authorisation)
• DHA 550 (application to extend the use of the authorisation to infant and follow-on formula) (extension of use for current authorisation

Consultation seeking stakeholders’ views, comments and feedback in relation to regulated product applications for six novel foods (NFs), which have been submitted for authorisation.

This consultation references applications now made to England, Scotland and Wales, for products where an application was evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) prior to the end of the transition period.  In addition to this consultation, we have also published a joint Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) scientific opinions document, relating to the relevant six NFs, after the organisations carried out a quality assurance review of EFSA's risk assessments.

We welcome comments on these scientific opinions, separately to responses to the consultation. Any comments provided on the FSA and FSS opinions will be published and considered for inclusion in our final Ministerial advice. Please send comments, clearly marked as relating to these scientific opinions, to: RPconsultations@food.gov.uk.

Who will this consultation be of most interest to?

• Manufacturers of infant and follow-on-formula and other food businesses wishing to use the novel foods (NFs) in the proposed use categories, such as food supplement manufacturers and distributors
• Enforcement Authorities, including Local Authorities, Port Health Authorities and District Councils
• Consumers of end use products including consumer groups concerned with infant formula and follow-on-formula and parents/carers of infants

Consultation subject

Six NFs have been submitted for authorisation in each nation of Great Britain (GB), where the decision on authorisation is made by the respective Ministers in England, Scotland and Wales. This is a function that was previously carried out at an EU level. Since the end of the transition period, assessing food and animal feed safety in the UK is the responsibility of FSA/FSS and the authorisation of NFs is the responsibility of the relevant appropriate authority of each of the nations of GB.

The finalised FSA/FSS opinions, and the views gathered through this consultation, will be considered and included alongside those of Officials of the Devolved Governments in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and UK Government Departments other than the FSA to inform Ministers’ decision making on whether to authorise the individual NFs for use in England, Scotland and Wales.

Purpose of the consultation

To seek stakeholders’ views, comments and feedback in relation to the NFs, which have been submitted for authorisation. We ask stakeholders to consider any relevant provisions of retained EU law and other legitimate factors (other evidence further supporting clear, rational and justifiable risk analysis, such as consumer interests, technical feasibility and environmental factors) related to these applications. This is stakeholders’ opportunity for input on the advice given to Ministers to inform decision making.