According to Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 (Feed Additives Regulation), feed additives refer to substances, microorganisms, or preparations—other than feed materials and premixes—that are intentionally added to feed or water to perform one or more functions. The EU has established a positive list of feed additives. To market a new feed additive not included in the positive list, an application for authorization must first be submitted to the EU authorities. Each authorization is valid for 10 years and may be renewed for an additional 10 years.

As of September 30, 2025, according to the public information of the EU information retrieval platform Open EFSA, CIRS has conducted statistical analysis on the approval trends of Novel Food (hereinafter referred to as NF) in the EU in the third quarter of 2025.

Influenced by globalization and strategic development, an increasing number of companies applying for novel food are expanding their target market, with the EU being one of the most popular destinations. Whether it is the application for new food ingredients/additives/enzymes or for new feed ingredients/additives, companies are required to conduct a series of tests. The EU, under its transparency regulations, requires companies to submit pre-notifications of tests before conducting them—this is a unique EU requirement. Failure to notify in advance without a valid justification may result in delays or penalties in the application process. In this article, CIRS Group provides an introduction for companies on EU pre-notification requirements for applications.

Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) is a bioactive nucleotide naturally present in the human body and serves as a key precursor for synthesizing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) in mammals. NAD+ plays a vital role in human health, participating in thousands of biochemical reactions. As people age, their nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels decrease, where depletion is associated with downregulation of energy production. NMN, a precursor to NAD+, reportedly slows the process by elevating NAD+levels in the body.

Styrene is a chemical used in the production of plastic materials and items. In the EU, it is authorised for use in food packaging that is in direct contact with food.

Fermented rapeseed cake has been approved for use in food products in the EU, expanding the high-protein byproduct’s application beyond animal feed and biogas. Rapeseed cake, a byproduct of oil extraction, is rich in protein (28 to 30%) but was previously deemed unsuitable for human consumption owing to the presence of bitter-tasting glucosinolates.

CIRS Group is to exhibit at the Vitafoods Europe 2025 during 20-22 May, 2025 in Barcelona. Come visit our stand where we will be happy to discuss global food regulations (EU, China, and USA), and offer our advice and share our experience in the food regulatory areas.

As defined in the Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, food additive shall mean any substance not normally consumed as a food in itself and not normally used as a characteristic ingredient of food, whether or not it has nutritive value, the intentional addition of which to food for a technological purpose in the manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, packaging, transport or storage of such food results, or may be reasonably expected to result, in it or its by-products becoming directly or indirectly a component of such foods.

As defined in the Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008 on food enzymes, “food enzyme” means a product obtained from plants, animals or micro-organisms or products thereof including a product obtained by a fermentation process using micro-organisms “food enzyme preparation” means a formulation consisting of one or more food enzymes in which substances such as food additives and/or other food ingredients are incorporated to facilitate their storage, sale, standardisation, dilution or dissolution.

The application of synthetic biology in food production continues to deepen. In response to this trend, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has updated its guidance for novel food applications, further refining requirements for products derived from synthetic biology