EAS Workshop to Cover EU Novel Food Proposal

International regulatory and policy consultancy, EAS, will host its first European workshop for the year on February 6 in Brussels, Belgium. The workshop, titled EU health claims rules and national market practice: Dealing with the present - planning for the future, will cover topical issues on health claims. The workshop will include a dedicated session to novel foods, due to the recent publication of the proposal for a revised novel food regulation and the high level of interest this has generated from the industry. The new session will consist of substantial analysis of the new European Union novel food proposal and its potential affect on research, innovation and product marketing.

"In contrast to the current novel foods definition, the categories of novel foods are no longer a criterion, but examples. The regulation now makes it a legal obligation for companies to verify whether or not the food which they intend to place on the market falls within its scope," said Patrick Coppens, director of international food and health law and scientific affairs at EAS."If they are unsure, they are obliged to consult a member state. When requested, they must provide information on the basis of which the member state will be able to determine the extent to which the food in question was used for human consumption in the EU before May 15, 1997."

EAS regulatory affairs manager Stefanie Geiser, along with Coppens, will focus the other workshop sessions on practical issues for health claims in the EU. This includes detailed guidance, impact analysis, information on timings, flexibility of working for claims and lessons and strategies for the successful use of health claims. Case studies will address the enforcement approaches in different EU member states.

The workshop will also highlight the drawbacks that the EU claims regulation has created, update attendees on the current widened list of permitted article 13.1 claims and the status of claims that are still on hold. In addition, Coppens and Geiser will cover the successes and failures of Art 13.5/14 submissions that have already undergone European Food Safety Authority assessment and the lessons to be learned from them.

For more information on the workshop, visit http://www.eas.eu/Event/15.