2025-03 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NOVEL FOOD REGULATION – EU SPECIALTY FOOD INGREDIENTS HELD A PANEL DEBATE

On 27th March 2025, EU Specialty Food Ingredients held a Panel Debate to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the Novel Food Regulation, which was published in December 2015 with the aim to improve the conditions for bringing new and innovative food and food ingredients to the EU market more easily, while still maintaining a high level of food safety for European consumers.

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of this adoption, EU Specialty Food Ingredients organised the Panel Debate to take stock of the implementation of this legislative act and to discuss the next challenges in the authorisation process of novel foods, as well as in the global context of the future of food, not only for our specialty food ingredients sector but also for other players in the food chain. The debate was opened by Ms Duresa Fritz, the Chair of the EU Specialty Food Ingredients’ Nutrition Committee and moderated by Ms Jennifer Baker, Brussels-based journalist, speaker and moderator of high-level events.

The panellists,

• Mr Rafael Perez Berbejal (Team leader ‘Novel Foods’ – Unit E2, DG SANTE, European Commission),
• Mr Alejandro Rodarte (Senior Manager, Food Safety, Research & Innovation – FoodDrinkEurope)
• Mr Christophe Derrien (Secretary General – International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed)
• Ms Catherine Mignot (Regulatory Expert in Food – EU Specialty Food Ingredients),

exchanged their views about, inter alia, the implementation of the legislative act, its influence on time to market and innovation with respect to the implementation of Transparency Regulation, as well as the challenge of gaining consumer’s trust in novel foods and in science-based information about innovative ingredients.

Attended by members of EU Specialty Food Ingredients, representatives of relevant sectors of the food chain as well as officers of the European Commission, the event was the opportunity for the participants to hear the Panel’s views on novel foods contribution to healthier and sustainable diet, learn the main constraints of bringing innovative ingredients to the EU market by European manufacturers, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as well as the impact of the European legislation on legislation and standards in other parts of the world.