The Association for the Cannabinoid Industry’s novel foods applications (RP126 and RP127) have been validated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The ACI received formal notification from the FSA that both its applications for the authorisation of CBD isolate and distillate ‘fall within the scope of the novel foods regime’ as set out in Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 (as retained) and fulfil the requirements set out in Article 10(2) of that Regulation.
These applications are now regarded as valid, and will now move on to the risk assessment stage to be assessed further.
ACI member applications account for 30 % of the products currently permitted to remain on the market under the novel foods authorisation process.
These applications relate to 320 brands on sale in Britain.
In 2022, the ACI submitted a complete toxicological package and related bioavailability data to the FSA to support the consortium of member applications.
This included the dose range finding study and the OECD408 rodent toxicity study to determine a No Observable Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL), to cover the safety implications of not only CBD, but also the minor cannabinoids and other plant matrices present in these plant-derived products.
Two years on from the novel food application submission deadline, this week’s FSA update comes a year after the food safety body published its first public list of ingestible CBD products deemed temporarily compliant, pending the submission of toxicology data, its risk assessment and acceptance to progress to the validation stage.
Steve Moore, ACI co-founder and strategic counsel, said: “This is a key milestone for the sector and the ACI. The new consumer cannabinoid sector has been set as an important regulatory challenge. Today’s outcome suggests that by collaborating, they are both progressing towards market authorisation for thousands of products but also delivering the safety data the authorities have been crying out for.”
Paul Birch, ACI co-founder, said: “This outcome was only achievable due to the expertise of our regulatory and scientific team led by Dr Parveen Bhatarah and Dr Paul Duffy who have provided exemplary insight and advice throughout this process.”
Arla Foods Ingredients’ Novel food application for its BLG (Beta-lactoglobulin) ingredient, Lacprodan® BLG-100, has received a positive EFSA opinion.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published an opinion that BLG is safe and suitable for use in food products in the EU. It has submitted its findings to the European Commission, which is expected to grant final authorisation later in the year.
When this process is complete, Lacprodan® BLG-100 will become Arla Foods Ingredients’ first product approved under the new Novel Food Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. It will be able to be used in categories including sports nutrition,health foods, and foods for special medical purposes.
In October 2021 Arla Foods Ingredients became the first supplier with the capacity for commercial production of pure BLG. Lacprodan® BLG-100 contains 45 % more leucine than commercially available whey protein isolates.1 This, coupled with its palatability, makes it an ideal solution for medical nutrition applications, where it can help minimise the loss of muscle mass and maintain mobility.
Lacprodan® BLG-100 also provides 26 % more essential amino acids and 40 % more branched-chain amino acids than commercially available whey protein. This opens up new opportunities in sports nutrition applications, in particular clear ready-to-drink beverages and powder shakes.
Niels Østergaard, Vice President, Innovation at Arla Foods Ingredients,said: “BLG is unique – in fact it’s basically a whole new protein category. Its combination of purity, amazing nutritional quality and appealing taste will create a world of new opportunities in medical and sports nutrition. We’re delighted by this decision, and proud to have led the way in the development of a game-changing new ingredient.”
1Gorissen et al 2018
Fooditive, a pioneer in developing plant-based ingredients, is gearing up for a game-changer in the industry: a Novel Food licence from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for its sweetener. The Dutch company has developed from a concept to a company worth of 26 million euros in 2022 and is making significant progress. Founded on the belief that sustainability is more than a trend, Fooditive provides innovative and natural ingredients to food and beverage manufacturers.
The company’s unique process allows them to develop a remarkable sweetener, made from side streams of apples and pears. The production process has been enhanced and evolved from batch to continuous fermentation, to be able to deliver on the high demand from the food industry by producing up to 30 tonnes of sweetener per week. For this purpose, 83 tonnes of apples and pears are being upcycled, raw material that is considered as side streams, third-grade by juice manufacturers or simply the “ugly fruit”.
The sweetener – the first of Fooditive’s cutting-edge products – sparked a sugar-free, plant-based revolution. The company hopes to make a ground-breaking step towards establishing the sweetener in the market by forming a successful collaboration with a production partner in the Netherlands.
Fooditive has already been offering the sweetener for research and development purposes to players in the food industry to determine which applications their sweetener performs best in. After three years’ worth of learning and development, feedback, and support from the food industry, the company will submit the sweetener as 5-D-Keto-Fructose in the process of applying for Novel Food certification from the European Food Safety Authority.
Global competitor
Following the recent study by ReportLinker, Fooditive is the only start-up and Dutch company that is considered as one of the global competitors for food sweeteners in the industry competing alongside with several of the leading ingredient market vendors. Fooditive provides an innovative sweetener to companies, for different product applications where it can deliver not only the sweet taste but also the functions of sugar.
The sweetener is developed from the extraction of fructose through fermentation and its conversion to 5-D-Keto-Fructose through bio-refining techniques. Fooditive has accomplished this through its innovative approach to offer solutions by valorizing side-streams and starting from different raw materials, including cherries and bananas, to transform them into valuable, healthy ingredients.
Exciting journey
The Fooditive team is aware that the road ahead will be long and challenging. However, they know that completing its goal of securing EFSA approval for such a unique ingredient comes with a slew of benefits. Investors, venture capitalists, food attorneys, and consultants are invited to join the company’s journey on this effort to deliver this game-changer to the market.
