DTU National Food Institute is coordinating SafeNov, a new European expert consortium that will help EFSA assess new foods, also known as novel foods, in the EU. The aim is for EFSA to process applications faster without lowering food safety standards.
It takes an average of three years to have a new food, known as a novel food, authorised in the EU, and the EU system is currently processing several hundred applications. Novel foods are foods and food ingredients that have not previously been used to a significant degree in the EU. They may include new protein sources, fermented ingredients, microorganisms, algae or insects.
Many of them require extensive documentation and expertise across several scientific disciplines. If documentation is missing or needs to be expanded, EFSA may ask companies to provide supplementary information before the assessment can continue.
At the same time, interest is growing in new protein sources, fermented ingredients, microorganisms, algae and other foods that could contribute to a more sustainable and resilient food system.
Assessment capacity must keep pace
“This is a challenge that many people in the field have been talking about for years. If assessment capacity does not keep pace, it can prolong the process for products that could potentially contribute to a more sustainable food system. That is why it is motivating to help develop a model that can strengthen and streamline the assessment work in practice,” says Morten Poulsen, Senior Researcher at DTU National Food Institute and coordinator of SafeNov.
The assessments require expertise across areas such as chemistry, microbiology, food technology, nutrition, exposure, toxicology and allergy. SafeNov will both strengthen scientific capacity and rethink how many experts can work together in a coordinated way across disciplines and countries. The consortium’s ambition is to help shorten the authorisation time for novel foods by 6-12 months.
According to Morten Poulsen, thorough documentation is essential if new foods are to move safely through the EU system.
“It is not enough for a new food product to be produced, taste good or promise a lower climate impact. Before it can move forward in the EU system and reach consumers, the producer must document that it is safe. That requires EFSA to assess everything from composition and production to expected intake, allergy risk and potential health effects,” says Morten Poulsen.
European expertise gathered in SafeNov
The consortium brings together more than 40 experts from Denmark, Austria, Finland, Italy and Spain. Their expertise covers e.g. chemistry, microbiology, biotechnology, food technology, nutrition, exposure, toxicology, allergenicity, epidemiology and human studies.
For DTU National Food Institute, the task is a continuation of the institute’s long-standing work with research-based advice and risk assessment in both Danish and European contexts.
SafeNov has been established as a four-year framework agreement with EFSA. The consortium was ranked number one in EFSA’s evaluation and received the highest possible score.
Fact box: SafeNov
SafeNov stands for Safety assessment of novel foods and nutrient sources.
The consortium is coordinated by DTU National Food Institute and consists of:
- DTU National Food Institute, Denmark
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, AGES, Austria
- University of Helsinki, Finland
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italy
- University of León, Spain
SafeNov will contribute to EFSA’s scientific risk assessment of novel foods and nutrient sources in the EU.
