Standard 1.5.1

 

Novel Foods

 

 

Purpose

 

This Standard regulates the sale of novel food and novel food ingredients.  This Standard prohibits the sale of these foods unless they are listed in the Table to clause 2, and comply with any special conditions of use in that Table.  The specific permission may impose conditions relating to matters such as the need for preparation or cooking instructions, warning statements or other advice, or the need to meet specific requirements of composition or purity.

 

The purpose of this Standard is to ensure that non-traditional foods which have features or characteristics which raise safety concerns will undergo a risk-based safety assessment before they are offered for retail for direct consumption in Australia and/or New Zealand.

 

The Authority will assess the safety for human consumption of each novel food prior to its inclusion in the Table.  The safety assessment will be performed in accordance with the Authority’s safety assessment guidelines.

 

Foods produced using gene technology and foods which have been irradiated are regulated in Standards 1.5.2 and 1.5.3 respectively.

 

Table of Provisions

 

1 Definitions

2 Sale of novel foods

 

Clauses

 

1 Definitions

 

In this Standard –

 

non-traditional food means a food which does not have a history of significant human consumption by the broad community in Australia or New Zealand.

 

novel food means a non-traditional food for which there is insufficient knowledge in the broad community to enable safe use in the form or context in which it is presented, taking into account –

 

(a) the composition or structure of the product; or

(b) levels of undesirable substances in the product; or

(c) known potential for adverse effects in humans; or

(d) traditional preparation and cooking methods; or

(e) patterns and levels of consumption of the product.

 


Editorial Note:

 

Novel food includes novel foods used as ingredients in another food.

 

2 Sale of novel foods

 

A novel food must not be sold by way of retail sale as food or for use as a food ingredient unless it is listed in column 1 of the Table to this clause and complies with the conditions of use, if any, specified in column 2.

 

Table to clause 2

 

Column 1

Column 2

Novel Food

Conditions of Use

-cyclodextrin

The name ‘alpha cyclodextrin’ or ‘-cyclodextrin’ must be used when declaring the ingredient in the ingredient list, as prescribed in Standard 1.2.4.

Diacylglycerol oil (DAG-Oil)

‘Diacylglycerol oil’ is a prescribed name.

 

Notwithstanding clause 4 of Standard 1.2.4, diacylglycerol oil must be declared in the statement of ingredients using the prescribed name.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – rich dried marine micro-algae (Schizochytrium sp.)

 

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – rich oil derived from marine micro-algae (Schizochytrium sp.)

 

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – rich oil derived from marine micro-algae (Ulkenia sp.)

 

-cyclodextrin

The name ‘gamma cyclodextrin’ or ‘-cyclodextrin’ must be used when declaring the ingredient in the ingredient list, as prescribed in Standard 1.2.4.

Phytosterol esters

The requirements in clause 2 of Standard 1.2.3.

 

The name ‘phytosterol esters’ or ‘plant sterol esters’ must be used when declaring the ingredient in the ingredient list, as prescribed in Standard 1.2.4.

 

May only be added to food -

 

(1) according to Standards 1.3.4 and 2.4.2; and

 

(2) where the total saturated and trans fatty acids present in the food is no more than 28% of the total fatty acid content of the food.

D-Tagatose

 


Table to clause 2 (continued)

 

Column 1

Column 2

Novel Food

Conditions of Use

Tall oil phytosterols

The requirements in clause 2 of Standard 1.2.3.

 

The name ‘tall oil phytosterols’ or ‘plant sterols’ must be used when declaring the ingredient in the ingredient list, as prescribed in Standard 1.2.4.

 

May only be added to food -

 

(1) according to Standards 1.3.4 and 2.4.2; and

 

(2) where the total saturated and trans fatty acids present in the food is no more than 28 % of the total fatty acid content of the food.

Trehalose

 

 

Editorial note:

 

Novel Foods must meet the requirements of Standard 1.3.4 – Identity and Purity.

 

The Table to Clause 2 contains conditions relating to novel foods.  Nothing contained in this Code permits the mixing of phytosterol esters and tall oil phytosterols.

 


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