The information about foods and food ingredients that has been collected since the "Novel Food Regulation" (Regulation 258/97/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients) entered into force is in three parts.

1. Full authorisations
   1. Pending applications
   2. Foods and food ingredients that were authorised pursuant to the Regulation.
      Decisions concerning the authorisation establish for novel foods and novel food ingredients, where appropriate
      • Conditions of use
      • Designation and specifications
      • Specific labelling requirements.
   3. Foods and food ingredients where no authorisation under the Regulation was granted
      • Decisions refusing the authorisation of a novel food or novel food ingredient
      • Applications that were withdrawn
      • Applications that turned out to be out of scope of the Regulation
2. Authorisation according to the simplified procedure, "Notifications"
3. A list of products where Member States and the Commission exchanged information whether these products are subject to the Novel Food Regulation - "Novel Food catalogue"

The document is the result of the continuing discussions in the Novel Food Working Group, a group comprised of Novel Food experts from the Member States together with officials from the European Commission. Therefore, it has to be emphasised that this Novel Food Catalogue does not represent as an exhaustive list. It contains a list of products of plant and animal origin as well as other substances which have been discussed in relation to their status only within the meaning of the Novel Food Regulation.

The "Novel Food Catalogue" may provide exclusively orientation whether or not a product would require authorisation under the Novel Food Regulation. But in some Member States the placing on the market of this product as a food or food ingredient may be restricted by specific legislation.

The document also contains, occasionally, information on the history of use by Member States of food supplements and ingredients used exclusively in food supplements. Food supplements are subject to Directive 2002/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to food supplements. If foods and/or food ingredients were used exclusively in food supplements, new uses in other foods presumably require authorisation under the Novel Food Regulation.

The document is a "living database", therefore its contents will be amended as a result of new information provided to and by the Member States or as the outcome of surveys carried out by Member States and notified to the Commission. The information provided by this document should be used without prejudice to decisions that might be taken by Member States or the Commission on the basis of new or more completed information.

Information to amend the "Novel Food Catalogue", in particular information about history of significant consumption of a food or food ingredient should be submitted to the authorities of that particular Member State for verification.