Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on S-acetyl glutathione (SAG) as a novel food (NF) pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283.

On August 31, 2026, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (CFSA) issued 3 new food materials. Comments are welcomed before September 30, 2026.

The European Commission issued Regulations (EU) 2026/1825 and 2026/1890, amending Regulation (EU) 2023/915 to establish or tighten maximum contaminant levels for 3-MCPD, glycidyl fatty acid esters, furan, and methylfurans in foods, particularly infant formulas, edible oils, and composite foods. Phased implementation deadlines span August 2026, January 2027, and January 2028.

Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/196 has applied across the European Union since 18 August 2026, changing permitted uses and purity specifications for carrageenan (E 407), locust bean gum (E 410), guar gum (E 412), gum arabic (E 414), xanthan gum (E 415), pectins (E 440) and starch sodium octenyl succinate (E 1450). The measure directly affects food additive suppliers and food manufacturers. Its most detailed controls focus on foods for infants, young children and special medical purposes.

EFSA has published its scientific opinion on the safety assessment of lacto-N-triose II (LNTri II) as a novel food. The Panel concluded that LNTri II does not raise safety concerns under the proposed conditions of use and use levels.

In H1 2026, the EU approved 8 food additive modifications, validated 5 dossiers, and published 9 scientific opinions. While new plant- and microorganism-derived additives are gaining interest, modification requests remain dominant. Amid strict upcoming EFSA guidance revisions, applicants must ensure complete, robust dossiers to ensure efficient market authorization.

Based on publicly available information from the Open EFSA and regulations issued by the European Commission, CIRS conducted a statistical analysis of the EU Novel Food (NF) approval dynamics in the first half of 2026 for enterprise reference.

The EFSA Panel on Food Contact Materials (FCM) assessed the safety of the Bandera Twin recycling process (EU register number RECYC341).

The food enzyme dextransucrase (sucrose:1,6-α-d-glucan 6-α-d-glucosyltransferase; EC 2.4.1.5) is produced with the genetically modified Bacillus subtilis strain DP-Eyp97 by Genencor International B.V. The production strain met the requirements for the qualified presumption of safety. The food enzyme was considered free from viable cells of the production organism and its DNA.

Recently, the European Commission’s novel food status has updated the information regarding S-adenosyl-L-methionine disulfate tosylate (also referred to as Sadenosyl-L-methionine disulfate p-toluenesulfonate). According to the latest novel food status, this ingredient has now been recognized as a novel food.