How to use the EU novel food catalogue and the Union list
The EU novel food catalogue indicates ingredient status, not authorisation. Check the Union list for permitted uses, specifications and labelling.
The European Commission's novel food catalogue is a non-binding, non-exhaustive orientation tool for whether a food or ingredient may be novel. It does not authorise anything. Check the Union list for authorised novel foods and their conditions. The Commission explains the distinction.
Open the official Novel Food Status Catalogue. A missing entry does not show that the ingredient is not novel. FSA guidance says exclusion from the list is not that proof.
Catalogue, Union list or EFSA opinion?
| Source | What it tells you | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Commission catalogue | Indicative novel-food status | Permission to market a novel food |
| Union list of novel foods | Authorised foods, specifications and applicable conditions | Permission for a different preparation or use |
| EFSA opinion | Scientific safety assessment | Final authorisation |
Article 6(2) of Regulation 2015/2283 allows only novel foods on the Union list to be placed on the market, and only under the conditions of use and labelling requirements. EFSA explains that the Commission and Member State authorities decide approval.
A food can be novel and already authorised. But a favourable EFSA opinion alone does not clear it for sale. Do not treat the Commission catalogue as an EFSA database.
How to check an ingredient
1. Define the market and the ingredient
Start with the market, the ingredient, the preparation and the proposed use. Keep EU and Great Britain checks separate. The FSA's guidance explains the GB and Northern Ireland split.
Because a familiar name can hide a different plant part or extract, record the scientific name, plant part, process and specification. Then note the food category and use level. Match those details to the Union-list conditions and specifications.
2. Search the novel food catalogue
Search by the food name or its first letters. For plants, use the Latin scientific name. You can also browse alphabetically and open an entry for its status information. The Commission sets out that search method. The revised catalogue replaced the former version on 16 November 2023. That is a launch date, not a last-update date.
Read the scope of the entry, not just the ingredient name. Check whether it covers the preparation and the use you recorded. Published status consultation outcomes give status statements and the reasons behind them.
A supplement-only history needs care. Exclusive use in food supplements before 15 May 1997 does not establish non-novel status for other foods. Article 3(2)(a)(x) covers that case.
3. Check the Union list and every applicable condition
For a novel food, open the Commission's Union-list page. It points to Implementing Regulation 2017/2470 on EUR-Lex. The Annex of that regulation is the EU novel food list. Find the current version rather than relying on the original 2017 text.
The Annex separates conditions in Table 1 from specifications in Table 2. Compare:
- Ingredient identity, preparation and any specified source or process.
- Specifications.
- Permitted food categories and maximum levels.
- Labelling and other requirements.
- Any data-protection restriction and its stated period.
Data-protection conditions can restrict reliance on an authorisation to a named applicant, subject to listed exceptions. Don't assume every supplier can use every entry.
Version dates can be frustrating. The 10 August 2026 date on the consolidation linked above is not an amendment date. Consolidated texts help you read amendments together, but they have no legal effect. Check the authorising and amending acts in the Official Journal, as the EUR-Lex notice explains.
4. Resolve uncertain status
The legal definition combines two tests: no significant human consumption within the Union before 15 May 1997, and inclusion in a listed category. The date alone is not the full test. Article 3(2)(a) states both parts.
Article 4 places the verification duty on the food business operator. If unsure, you must consult the Member State where you first intend to place the food on the market. Provide the information needed to determine its status. That consultation concerns novel-food status. It does not grant authorisation. Both duties appear in Article 4.
To support your assessment, keep the matched entry, source links, access dates and reasons for your conclusion. A non-novel conclusion does not remove other applicable food-law requirements.
Which novel food register applies in the UK?
For Great Britain, meaning England, Scotland and Wales, check the FSA/FSS Register of novel foods. It lists authorised foods and their conditions. Since 1 April 2025, the register-based system reflects ministerial authorisation decisions without requiring a new statutory instrument for each authorisation.
A new EU authorisation does not by itself permit sale in Great Britain. EU novel-food status decisions taken after 1 January 2021 do not apply there, though they may still help show a history of consumption in the EU. For Northern Ireland, check EU rules and the Union list, with separate arrangements for eligible retail movements. The FSA guidance explains those points.
For an FSA novel foods list of authorisations, use the register above, not the CBD public list. England-and-Wales CBD guidance says application validation does not guarantee authorisation.
RegAffairs AI explains these distinctions in its answer on using the novel food catalogue.
Where can I find the novel food catalogue or a Union-list PDF?
Use the live catalogue for indicative status searches. For authorisations, EUR-Lex offers a Union-list PDF. That link is a dated version of the Union list, not the catalogue. Check the current version and relevant amending acts before relying on a downloaded copy.