[Nutrition and health--safety of new types of food].
In Europe it is currently a statutory requirement that all novel foods must first be tested before they can be put on the market to establish that they pose no hazard to consumers. A novel food is a food or food ingredient which was not used to a significant degree on the European market prior to 1997 and which falls within one of the categories described in a specific European regulation. The procedure used to establish the safety of such a novel food involves a request for authorization. The company compiles a safety dossier containing a comprehensive report on the characteristics of the substance, details of toxicological studies and any other relevant information. The company submits the dossier to the relevant authority in one of the European member states. In the Netherlands, this is the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. The Ministry then arranges for an initial assessment to be carried out. In the Netherlands the Committee on Safety Assessment of Novel Foods (Dutch acronym: VNV), part of the Health Council, conducts the assessment. Following the completion of the assessment, other member states may carry out their own assessments. Finally, the member states make a collective decision on whether or not to authorise the marketing of the product. The VNV assessment takes a case-by-case and step-by-step approach. Each request for authorization is individually examined to determine the types of research data that will be needed to reach a verdict. A short-track procedure or 'notification' is available for products that are substantially equivalent to existing foods. The VNV Committee operates as transparently as possible. All dossiers are available for inspection. The Committee's advisory reports are available to the public and committee members provide details of their personal interests.
van de Wiel
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JA
van Rossum
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Rutgers
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D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005060:Europe; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000592:standards*; D005513:Food Inspection; D006801:Humans; D007881:Legislation, Food; D040541:Marketing; D009426:Netherlands