A novel food is defined as a food or food ingredients that does not have a significant history of consumption in the EU before May 1997.
This includes products derived from organism we have not previously consumed, products based on the use of a new technology, and products with a new primary molecular structure.
Novel food could possess unknown health hazards to consumers and are therefore subject to a pre-market safety assessment before a decision is made on EU-wide authorisation.
Focus on safety Our research aims to investigate the safety of novel foods. The research supports our safety assessments for novel foods, which form the basis of decisions relating to the authorisation of these products.
Safety testing of novel food at the National Food Institute is based on a concept that includes a combination of in vitro studies, omic's techniques, animal studies, and chemical characterisation. The necessity and usefulness of each test are considered case by case.
Animal studies are typically the cornerstone in safety testing of the individual components in food. At the institute we have the necessary personnel and equipment to perform animal studies of high quality.
Functional food and bioactive compounds are research areas that have received great attention in the last years. These areas a
