Novel foods and how they are regulated

In the previous Step we looked at how the EU considers health claims made on food products. Another area where regulation is used to protect the consumer is in the area of novel foods. This video explains what the term ‘novel food’ means and how these products are regulated to keep consumers safe.

Novel foods can include new ingredients used in food products, as well as new methods and technologies for producing food. So, if a new food processing technology is developed, any foods produced using this method are considered novel and therefore need to be assessed to ensure their safety.