Page 38 - FoodFocusThailand No.214 JANUARY 2024

SPECIAL FOCUS

The safety assessment of novel food involves multiple principles. enforceable on the novel food items manufactured for
For instance, toxicology is needed to test the toxicity of novel food. export purposes or those that have been granted
Toxicology tests are usually conducted on test animals, and the approval for production or import before the date of
results can be used to explain and predict the toxicity of each food enforcement of this notification.
item and its effects on humans. Additionally, the food will also be Novel foods produced in one country or one group
biochemically assessed to find out more about the absorption of of countries may share similar definitions or have
main nutrients in said food through the digestive system, the different ones. For instance, in the European Union, the
distribution of primary nutritional substances through human organ term “novel food” encompasses foods manufactured
tissues, the potential biochemical reactions of key substances in by novel production processes that have never been
the human body, and the excretion of such substances from the used before, plant- or animal-based foods that are not
body. Allergens and allergy-inducing substances, along with their produced by conventional manufacturing techniques,
potential physiological effects, must also be studied. For nutrition or foods that have been modified by novel manufacturing
assessment, the type and amount of nutrients contained in a novel processes, which may include nanotechnology or new
food product must be declared, and such information is obtained food sources such as insects, algae, and yeast. In
from the analyses and calculations whereby the quantity and the Australia and New Zealand, however, novel foods are
stability of nutrients are assessed, along with the potential impact defined as non-traditional foods, which must be subject
on consumers’ health and nutrition. Finally, the safety of pure culture to public health and food safety assessments. On the
may also need to be assessed (if microbial culture is used in the other hand, in the USA, the concept of novel food is
manufacturing process, the result of its safety evaluation must be based on the requirements for GRAS substances
declared accordingly). (Generally Recognized as Safe) under the Code of
To assess the safety of novel food, food operators must submit Federal Regulations.
relevant documents and evidence concerning the aspects required The regulations governing sales of novel food also
by the Annex attached at the end of the notification of the Ministry differ from country to country. As a result, novel food
of Public Health, such as quality or standard specification, history exporters must adhere to the established standards of
of consumption as food, production process, analysis result, their partner countries, such as GMP and HACCP. The
consumption method, toxicology test result, nutritional data, and rules and requirements of importing countries must also
safety assessment result from an internationally recognized agency. be followed. For instance, the EU uses the EU
These documents and evidence must be submitted to a food safety Regulation 2283/2015, a new set of regulatory
assessment authority approved by the Food and Drugs measures for novel food, as the main standard, while
Administration so that the safety assessment and the assessment Australia and New Zealand operate on Standard 1.5.1
result report can be performed and written accordingly. In the next – Novel Foods in the Food Standards Code, which is
step, food operators must submit the evaluation result and other a new regulatory requirement for novel food and its
relevant documents to the Food and Drugs Administration to obtain ingredients.
an official permit, and the submitted data will be used to establish The regulations for sales and safety assessment of
additional specifications for the safe consumption of novel food. novel food are of great importance because today these
Once the food passes the safety evaluation, the result can be used products are gaining more popularity among consumers.
to apply for production or import permission. To ensure that the Meanwhile, the novel food market only performs well
standard of quality is achieved, food operators must also adhere within a limited circle since consumers do not feel
to other relevant laws and regulations, such as Good Manufacturing confident enough about its safety. Hence, if some
Practice (GMP) and the notifications of the Ministry of Public Health standards and laws can tackle these matters, novel
concerning food labeling for food containers. As a result, the novel food products are more likely to have higher quality and
food products that have been officially assessed and approved are safety, thus increasing the level of consumers’
considered safe, consumable foods, just like any other certified confidence and the overall credibility of the food industry,
food products. These novel foods are subject to monitoring both which plays a vital role in propelling Thailand’s economy
before and after their commercial placement in the market. forward.
Nonetheless, this notification of the Ministry of Public Health is not Since Thailand is now focusing more on the creation
of innovations to add more value to food products, the
market is now filled with an abundance of novel foods,
such as meat substitutes, UV-treated bread with added
vitamin D, rice flour cake, as well as bread, biscuit, or
pasta with insect-based proteins. Since the whole world
is paying attention to food innovations, which have been
constantly adapted to catch up with emerging new global
challenges such as health, safety, and sustainability,
now is a good time for Thai food operators to research,
develop, and showcase their unique novel foods with
outstanding quality, which will give them a better
competitive edge and an opportunity to more easily
open new export channels to overseas economies.

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