Food Standards Agency
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Views wanted on algal oil
A company has applied to the Food Standards Agency to widen the use of algal oil under the Novel Food Regulation (EC) No. 258/97. Views are wanted on the company’s application. The deadline for sending comments is Sunday 20 October 2013.
About the application
This is the sixth full application the FSA has received for oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids extracted from the microalgae Schizochytrium sp.
This oil, which is rich in the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is extracted from a newly isolated strain of the microalgae, and the company, DSM Nutritional Products, proposes to use the oil primarily as a source of DHA in infant and follow on formula.
The DHA that is currently used in infant formula is typically extracted from tuna fish oil or from a microalgae, Crypthecodinium cohnii.
About novel foods
A novel food is a food or food ingredient that does not have a significant history of consumption within the European Union before 15 May 1997.
Before any new food product can be introduced on the European market, it must be rigorously assessed for safety. In the UK, the assessment of novel foods is carried out by an independent committee of scientists appointed by the Food Standards Agency, the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP).
Deadline for comments
The Agency is inviting comments on the application. Any comments should be emailed to the ACNFP secretariat at acnfp@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk by Sunday 20 October 2013.
The comments received will be passed to the committee during its assessment of this novel food ingredient. Please note that appendices are available on request.
