Novel Food: The Impact of Innovation on the Paths of the Traditional Food Chain

Abstract

Novel food refers to any type of food which was not used for human consumption before the 15 May 1997 in a specific place. This date refers to the introduction of European Union Regulation (EC) No 258/1997 which regulated the placing of novel foods or novel food ingredients on the market within the community for the first time. Then, the Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 changed the existing legislation for the categories of food belonging to novel food in order to guarantee a higher level of protection of human health and consumer interests. Algae, which are not commonly consumed by people but are considered among the most widespread foods of the future, are one of the principal food products of natural plant origin in the regulation of novel foods. However, even if algae were not well-known in the past, nowadays they are integrated into the different food cultures of the EU. This circumstance led to an analysis of the contribution of trade flows, of algae for human consumption inside and outside Europe, on the trade balance of the member countries of the European Union. Analysis of the Eurostat database was used to provide an overview of the international trade dynamics affecting the trade development of algae for human consumption in the European Union, with the aim of measuring the competitive dynamics within member countries.

Development of the Circular Bioeconomy: Drivers and Indicators

“…The use of these technologies is heavily regulated and, in particular, application in plant breeding has become difficult under the current regulatory environment [43]. In some areas, recent improvements have been observed such as for the approval of microbial biological control agents [108] or novel foods [109]. Still, at the international level, approval for new products of importance for the circular bioeconomy in the EU is more time consuming [110] and hence much more expensive [111] and reforms are urgently needed [112].…”

Edible Seaweeds and Spirulina Extracts for Food Application: In Vitro and In Situ Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity towards Foodborne Pathogenic Bacteria

“…This applies to all food products and substances that were not significantly consumed until 15 May 1997 within the European Union. This Regulation was subsequently replaced by the new Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, which simplifies the conditions for introducing new foods in the EU market while maintaining a high level of food safety [ 17 ]. The algal species used in this work are already approved as food by EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), making easier the use of their extract in food formulations.…”

Solid-State Fermentation of Arthrospira platensis to Implement New Food Products: Evaluation of Stabilization Treatments and Bacterial Growth on the Volatile Fraction

“…Moreover, discrete quantities and varieties of minerals, vitamins and pigments (C-phycocyanin, chlorophyll and carotenoids) [ 3 ] are present. To date, microalgae and spirulina, defined as the novel food of the future [ 4 ], are used for various purposes in nutraceutical, cosmetic [ 5 ], feed [ 6 ] and pharma [ 7 ] sectors, and they continue to increasingly attract the interest of consumers and companies because of several bioactivities that this cyanobacterium is being proved to possess in many studies [ 8 , 9 ]. Applications with the aims of conferring macro- and micro-nutrients and improving color are increasing, and many food products, such as bread, cookies and pasta [ 10 , 11 , 12 ], cheeses [ 13 ], yogurt [ 14 , 15 ] and beverages [ 16 ], supplemented with A. platensis have been developed.…”