Novel Food: The Impact of Innovation on the Paths of the Traditional Food Chain

Abstract

Novel food refers to any type of food which was not used for human consumption before the 15 May 1997 in a specific place. This date refers to the introduction of European Union Regulation (EC) No 258/1997 which regulated the placing of novel foods or novel food ingredients on the market within the community for the first time. Then, the Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 changed the existing legislation for the categories of food belonging to novel food in order to guarantee a higher level of protection of human health and consumer interests. Algae, which are not commonly consumed by people but are considered among the most widespread foods of the future, are one of the principal food products of natural plant origin in the regulation of novel foods. However, even if algae were not well-known in the past, nowadays they are integrated into the different food cultures of the EU. This circumstance led to an analysis of the contribution of trade flows, of algae for human consumption inside and outside Europe, on the trade balance of the member countries of the European Union. Analysis of the Eurostat database was used to provide an overview of the international trade dynamics affecting the trade development of algae for human consumption in the European Union, with the aim of measuring the competitive dynamics within member countries.