Novel Food

J Clin Gastroenterol (2010) PMID 20562633

From the legislative standpoint, foods do not necessarily have a nutritional role, in that they are defined as: any product or substance that is transformed (even partially) or not transformed and that is meant to be ingested by humans (or for which ingestion can be reasonably assumed), excluding such products as pharmaceuticals and tobacco products, among others. In accordance with EC Regulation 258/97 concerning novel foods, the safety of foods must be established by a history of consumption. For novel foods, safety must be proven through risk assessment. However, the authorization procedures for novel foods is complex.