The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced that Goji berries are not to be classified as a novel food. The Health Food Manufacturers’ Association (HFMA), the voice of the UK’s natural health industry, is glad that the distinction has been made.

The popularity of Goji berries has grown rapidly in recent months as a result of publicity from ‘healthy eating’ experts such as Dr Gillian McKeith and celebrities including Madonna.

Novel foods legislation applies to foods and ingredients where there is no evidence of significant consumption anywhere in the EU before May 1997. An apparent lack of evidence concerning Goji berries led to an FSA investigation, which in turn, triggered urgent action by the HFMA.

Feedback from the HFMA’s associates across Europe was utilised to produce a comprehensive dossier documenting evidence of widespread Goji berry consumption for more than 10 years. This evidence included sale of the berries in Chinese food stores, use of the berries in soft and alcoholic drinks, published recipes incorporating

Goji berries as well as both a Belgian decree and a German court decision classifying the berries as a food.

The breadth of this evidence played a major role in convincing the FSA to rule Goji berries as ‘non-novel’. The FSA had previously emphasised that it had no concerns about the safety of eating the berries.

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