Consultation on applications for authorisation of miscellaneous regulated products: four novel foods, three food additives, removal of twenty-two food flavouring authorisations, and a proposal to set a limit for ethylene oxide in food additives

Who will this consultation be of most interest to?

• food businesses wishing to use the food additives in the proposed use categories and food businesses who may have used the twenty-two flavouring substances in their food
• producers and suppliers of novel foods, food additives and flavourings, importers, distributors and wholesalers and retailers
• Food Industry Trade Associations covering novel foods, food additives and flavourings
• consumer groups
• campaign Groups concerned with infant formula and follow-on formula
• organisations representing consumer interests in the food-chain
• enforcement authorities across the UK, including local authorities, Port Health Authorities and District Councils
• consumers and wider stakeholders. 

A list of interested parties is included in Annex A of the consultation pack.

Consultation subject

This consultation concerns four novel food and three food additive applications that have been submitted for authorisation in Great Britain (GB) and an application to remove the authorisation of twenty-two food flavourings substances in GB. 

Since 1 October 2023, the Windsor Framework’s new NI Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS) is in place. Goods moved to Northern Ireland under NIRMS can be produced to GB standards for public health and consumer protection. 

This consultation also concerns the proposal to set a limit for ethylene oxide in all food additives. 

In addition to this consultation, we have also published joint Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) safety assessments for the applications.

FSA/FSS Risk Management recommendations

Risk Management recommendations take into account the safety assessments (which represent the opinion of the FSA and FSS for each application) as well as potential impacts that would result from the authorisation of these novel foods and food additives and other legitimate factors that Ministers may want to consider before making a decision regarding these applications.  

FSA/FSS safety assessments

Applications in this consultation have undergone a FSA/FSS safety assessment, including full review of the applicants’ dossiers. The views of the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) have been taken into account in the FSA/FSS safety assessment for the novel food applications. The views of the Joint Expert Group on Additives, Enzymes and other Regulated Products (AEJEG) have been taken into account in the FSA/FSS safety assessment for the food additive applications. The Committee on Toxicity (COT) also reviewed the AEJEG Committee Advice documents for the food additive applications, agreeing with the conclusions of the AEJEG. The views of the Committees are reflected in the published Safety Assessments which form the opinions of the FSA and FSS on these applications. A safety assessment is not required for an application to remove authorised substances.  

RP19 Barley Rice Protein (novel food)

RP200 Cetylated Fatty Acids 

RP549 lacto-N-fucopentaose I (LNFP-l) and 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) (novel food)

RP1202 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL) (novel food)

RP1084 Steviol Glycosides (E 960) from Stevia Leaf Extract (food additive) 

RP1140 Steviol Glycosides (E 960) produced by Yarrowia lipolytica (food additive)

RP217 Extension of use of Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate (E 476) (food additive)

Purpose of the consultation

This consultation provides the opportunity for stakeholders’ views to be submitted on the authorisation of the novel foods and food additive applications; removal of authorisation of the flavouring substances; and setting a limit for ethylene oxide in all food additives. The FSA will take stakeholders’ feedback into account, to inform Ministers in England and Wales (with the Department of Health Permanent Secretary in Northern Ireland kept informed) before they make a decision. 

We are seeking feedback on the proposed terms of authorisation in relation to the four novel food and three food additive applications, our assessment of the potential impacts detailed in the consultation pack, and any further evidence you may have on additional impacts that we should consider.  

In relation to the application to remove the authorisation of twenty-two food flavouring substances and the proposal to set a limit for ethylene oxide in all food additives, we are seeking feedback of the potential impacts detailed in the consultation pack, and any further evidence you may have on additional impacts that we should consider.

A parallel consultation is being published by FSS to inform Ministers' decision in Scotland.

Consultation pack

This consultation pack provides the background information and details you will need to know in order to respond to the questions in this consultation. The full consultation document is also accessible via these pages:

Consultation pack on applications for authorisations of four novel foods and three food additives, application for twenty-two food flavouring substances removals and proposal to set a limit for ethylene oxide in all food additives (HTML)

How to respond

Responses to this consultation should be submitted via the online survey. If this is not possible, you can email a response to:

Email: RPconsultations@food.gov.uk
Name: Regulated Products Approvals Team
Division/Branch: Regulated Services

If responding by email, please state in your response whether you are responding as a private individual or on behalf of an organisation/company (including details of any stakeholders your organisation represents) and provide the nation in which you are based.