ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NOVEL FOODS AND PROCESSES
Press Release
ACNFP 7/99
27 May 1999
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NOVEL FOODS AND PROCESSES OUTCOME OF MEETING ON 13 MAY 1999
The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) met on 13 May 1999 and discussed the issues detailed below.
Final Draft of the 1998 ACNFP Annual Report
The Committee considered the final draft of the ACNFP 1998 annual report. Members agreed with the contents. Subject to a few editorial changes the Committee agreed the report which will be published in July.
Benecol
The Committee considered information submitted voluntarily by the company responsible for this food product, which is not classed as a novel food under the EC Novel Food and Novel Food Ingredients Regulation (it was marketed in Finland prior to May 1997) and not therefore subject to pre-marketing assessment and approval under the Regulation. The Committee nevertheless thought it prudent to review the information available on it given their recent concern about the suitability of a similar product for pregnant women and children.
The Committee raised a number of queries about the labelling and associated literature for this product as it related to pregnant women and children and concluded that these issues should be referred to the Food Advisory Committee (FAC) for its consideration.
Phospholipids
The Committee considered further information on an application seeking clearance for phospholipids. Phospholipids are fatty acids derived from egg yolk, and are proposed for use in low fat spreads and infant formulae. The Committee concluded that this additional data did not satisfactorily address their earlier concerns and confirmed that the UK should maintain its objections to the approval of this product.
Cereal Fractions
The Committee was asked to provide an opinion on an application to the UK Competent Authority for approval to market cereal fractions under the EC Novel Foods Regulation (258/97). Cereal fractions are derived from cereal brans and are proposed for use as fat replacers and sources of dietary fibre in a number of different foods. The Committee was content with the data provided and agreed that, subject to agreement of an assessment report, a favourable opinion should be forwarded to the European Commission.
Nangai Nuts
The Committee considered the summary application and assessment report from the French Competent Authority. Nangai nuts (
Canarium indicum L) are a nut from the Nangi tree and have a long history of consumption in Papua-New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.
The Committee considered that the information available was insufficient in a number of areas to recommend approval. In particular more toxicological data was required along with data, on the potential allergenicity, given that other members of this nut family can give rise to contact dermatitis and allergic reactions.
Cottonseed oil derived from insect protected and herbicide resistant GM cotton
The ACNFP was asked to discuss further data provided by Monsanto relating to it's request for an opinion from the Committee on the substantial equivalence of oil derived from GM cotton seeds.
The Committee concluded that further information was required regarding the methodology used to demonstrate the absence of DNA in the oil, together with further consideration of some aspects of the compositional data, before it could reach a final conclusion.
Herbicide tolerant GM oilseed rape
The ACNFP was asked to consider the monitoring data provided by Monsanto in response to a request from the Committee that the approval issued in January 1996 to market oil derived from herbicide tolerant GM oil seed rape, should be followed up as a condition of approval by periodic monitoring of the stability of the modification. The Committee was content with the data provided.
Potatoes modified to contain snowdrop lectin
The Committee was asked to consider the results of Dr Pusztai's research at the Rowett Institute on GM potatoes modified to contain snowdrop lectin. The Committee agreed a statement that has since been published.
Comments on these subjects may be sent to the committee's Secretariat at the following address:-
ACNFP Administrative Secretariat
MAFF
Room 239c
Ergon House c/o Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
Tel: 0171-238-6380
Notes for Editors
1.The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes is an independent body of experts whose remit is:
"To advise Health and Agriculture Ministers of Great Britain and the Heads of the Departments of Health and Social Services and Agriculture for Northern Ireland on any matters relating to the irradiation of food or to the manufacture of novel foods or foods produced by novel processes, having regard where appropriate to the views of relevant expert bodies".
2.The Committee is a voluntary body comprising a Chairman and Members appointed for their personal expertise and not to represent particular interests. The Committee's main task is to examine food safety aspects of novel foods and foods subjected to novel processes and advise Ministers accordingly.
3.Companies wishing to market a novel food in the EU are required to submit an application to the competent authority in the Member State where they first intend to market their product. The competent authority in the UK is the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Health acting jointly, but it is envisaged that this will pass to the Food Standards Agency when it is set up. Following acceptance of the application, the competent authority is required to carry out a full safety assessment and forward it to the European Commission within 90 days. In the UK, this assessment is made by the ACNFP. The Commission then copies this assessment, plus a summary of the application, to other Member States for their comments, which have to be made within 60 days. If the initial assessment is favourable and no objections are raised by other Member States, the product can be marketed. If objections are raised, the application will be referred to the EC Standing Committee for Foodstuffs for final agreement, consulting the EC Scientific Committee for Food as necessary. If no agreement is reached there, the matter will be referred to the Council of Ministers who will make the final decision.
CURRENT MEMBERSHIP OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NOVEL FOODS AND PROCESSES
Chairman
Professor J Bainbridge BSc Phd Grad.Cert.Ed(Tech),CBiol, MiBiol,SOFHT.
School of Science and Technology, University of Teesside,Middlesborough
Members
Professor P J Aggett MSc MB ChB FRCP(L)(E)(G) DCH
Head of Lancashire Postgraduate School of Medicine and Health.
Professor C Brown BSc, PhD, DSc, CBiol, FIBiol, FIBrew.FRSE.
Vice Principal of Heriot-Watt University
Dr Philip Dale BSc, PhD,CBiol,MIBiol.
Research Group Leader, Genetic Modification and Biosafety Assessment, John Innes Centre, Norwich
Honorary Reader, University of East Anglia
Dr M J Gasson BSc, PhD.
Head, Department of Genetics and Microbiology , Institute of Food Research, Norwich
Dr J Heritage BA, DPhil,CBiol, MLBiol.
Senior Lecturer in Microbiology at the University of Leeds
Professor D A Ledward MSc PhD FIFST.
Professor of Food Science, University of Reading
Reverend Dr M Reiss BSc, MA, PhD, FIBiol.
Senior Lecturer, Homerton College, University of Cambridge
Mrs E Russell BSc.
Consumer Representative
Professor I Rowland BSc, PhD.
Director,Northern Ireland Centre for Diet and Health at the University of Ulster;Coleraine.
Professor T A B Sanders BSc, PhD,DSc.
Head of Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Kings College, London
Professor H SewellMB, ChB, BDS, Msc, PhD, FRCP (L) (G), FRCPath, F.Med.Sci.
Head of Immunology , Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University Hospital Medical School, Nottingham.
Dr N A Simmons FRC Path FIFST
Emeritus Consultant in Microbiology, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital Trust,London.
Professor R Walker PhD CChem FRSC FIFST
Professor of Food Science, University of Surrey.
Professor J Warner MB, ChB, DCH, MRCP, MD, FRCP, MRCPCH, FRCPCH.
Professor of Child Health at University of Southampton.
Professor H F Woods BSc, BM, BCh, DPhil, FFPM, FRCP (London & Edin).
Head of Department of Medicine and Pharmacology. Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield.
END
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