The FSANZ Advisory Committee on Novel Foods (ACNF) (external site) plays an important role in the assessment and regulation of novel foods in Australia. The main responsibility of the ACNF is to make a recommendation on whether foods meet the Standard 1.5.1 definition of non-traditional, and then consider whether a safety assessment is required for food that is found to be non-traditional.
The ACNF utilises a multidisciplinary team, which consists of experts from various fields including risk assessors, toxicologists, food scientists, social scientists and is chaired by FSANZ. The committee applies a risk-based approach for each assessed food item to ensure the safety of new foods coming on to the market.
ACNF recommendations are not legal advice. The purpose of ACNF recommendations is to assist enquirers to make their own decision on whether they should apply to amend the Standard. Once the ACNF provides a recommendation regarding the novelty status of an assessed food item, the recommendation is published on the FSANZ website, along with the rationale for the recommendation. A record of views formed by the ACNF in response to inquiries of non-traditional/novel foods can be viewed on the FSANZ website (external site).
Tools ACNF uses to assess novel foods
ACNF uses the ACNF guidance tool (external site) to determine a food’s non-traditional status and need for a safety assessment. The guidance tool consists of two parts.
Part 1 of the guidance tool is used by the ACNF to assist the committee in determining whether a food is non-traditional or not. Information submitted by the enquirer is used to analyse the following 6 questions, which are all listed as Part 1 of the guidance tool:
(a) length of use;
(b) extend of use;
(c) quantity (level of intake) of use;
(d) purpose or context of use;
(e) confidence in the information provided; and
(f) overall consideration.
If the view is formed that the assessed item is a traditional food, the assessment process is completed by using Part 1 of the guidance tool. However, if the view is formed that the assessed item is non-traditional, further work by the committee is required to establish whether the assessed item requires a safety assessment or not, and for that purpose the guidance tool Part 2 is used.
Part 2 of the guidance tool is required to examine the following questions, based on information provided by the enquirer:
(a) potential for adverse effect in humans;
(b) composition or structure of the foods;
(c) process by which the food has been prepared;
(d) source from which it is derived;
(e) patterns and levels of consumption of food; and
(f) any other relevant matters.
The final stage of the assessment leads the ACNF to conclude one of two different outcomes: that the assessed item is non-traditional and not a novel food or that the assessed item is non-traditional and a novel food, which would require a safety assessment by FSANZ.