A novel food is food that was not eaten to a significant degree in the EU before 15 May 1997. It needs an EU authorisation, based on a safety evaluation, before it can be sold.
892 notifications since 1 January 2020 named unauthorised novel food, 3% of all EU notifications in that time. 171 in the 365 days to 8 November 2026, against 151 in the 365 days before, up 13%. 21% were border rejections and 6% had a serious risk decision.
The origins named most often were the United States (153), the United Kingdom (80) and the Netherlands (79). The product categories named most often were food supplements and dietetic foods (525), other and mixed food products (71) and cocoa, coffee and tea (61). The products named most often were food supplements (458), tea (31) and soft drinks (20).
Explainer sources, checked 18 October 2026: Novel food, European Commission; Novel food, EFSA.
Counts start on 1 January 2020 and run to 8 November 2026, the day the list was last read. A notification that names two countries of origin counts for each. Findings come from our word list matched against the EU subject line, which is never shown; 96% of all notifications match it, the rest count as other finding. Each reference links to the official record on RASFF Window. How this works.
Latest notifications that named unauthorised novel food
The newest 25 of 892, newest first, each built from fixed word lists. The reference opens the official record.
- Information for attention notified by Germany: unauthorised novel food in food supplements of unknown origin, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.9770, validated 3 November 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Latvia: Staphylococcus enterotoxins, plant ingredients not allowed or found unsafe and unauthorised novel food in herbal infusions from Russia, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.9737, validated 2 November 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Poland: plant ingredients not allowed or found unsafe and unauthorised novel food in food supplements from the United States, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.9674, validated 30 October 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Latvia: plant ingredients not allowed or found unsafe and unauthorised novel food in tea from Russia, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.9506, validated 26 October 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by the Netherlands: unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product from India, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.9326, validated 20 October 2026.
- Alert notified by France: caffeine, medicinal substances (sildenafil, tadalafil and others), plant ingredients not allowed or found unsafe and 1 more findings in food supplements from Slovakia, risk decision serious, reference 2026.9257, validated 19 October 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Poland: unauthorised novel food in food supplements from Poland, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.9235, validated 16 October 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: unauthorised novel food in herbs or spices from Ghana, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.9027, validated 12 October 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Germany: unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product from China, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.8942, validated 8 October 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Ireland: unauthorised novel food in spice mixes from India, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.8766, validated 5 October 2026.
- Information for attention notified by Sweden: unauthorised novel food in food supplements from the United States, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.8673, validated 30 September 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Slovenia: vitamins, minerals or other nutrients above safe levels and unauthorised novel food in a food additive or flavouring from India, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.8182, validated 16 September 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: unauthorised novel food in soft drinks from Vietnam, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.8033, validated 11 September 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Poland: unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product from Poland, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.8006, validated 10 September 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Poland: medicinal substances (sildenafil, tadalafil and others), plant ingredients not allowed or found unsafe and unauthorised novel food in food supplements from India and the United States, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.7970, validated 9 September 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Sweden: unauthorised novel food in fruit or vegetables from Denmark, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.7889, validated 7 September 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: unauthorised novel food in food supplements from Hungary, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.7886, validated 7 September 2026.
- Border rejection notified by Latvia: plant ingredients not allowed or found unsafe and unauthorised novel food in a mixed food product from Ukraine, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.7834, validated 4 September 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Belgium: plant ingredients not allowed or found unsafe and unauthorised novel food in food supplements from the Netherlands, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.7818, validated 4 September 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Poland: unauthorised novel food in food supplements from Hungary, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.7769, validated 2 September 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Hungary: unauthorised novel food and labelling faults in food supplements from Poland, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.7657, validated 31 August 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Belgium: plant ingredients not allowed or found unsafe and unauthorised novel food in food supplements from Estonia, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.7599, validated 28 August 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Poland: unauthorised novel food in food supplements from Germany and Poland, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.7575, validated 27 August 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Germany: unauthorised novel food in soft drinks from China, risk decision potential risk, reference 2026.7117, validated 26 August 2026.
- Information for follow up notified by Austria: plant ingredients not allowed or found unsafe and unauthorised novel food in confectionery from Türkiye, risk decision potentially serious, reference 2026.7352, validated 19 August 2026.
Other unauthorised substances and novel food: cannabidiol (CBD), medicinal substances (sildenafil, tadalafil and others), plant ingredients not allowed or found unsafe.
The numbers
| Year | Notifications |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 44 |
| 2021 | 97 |
| 2022 | 110 |
| 2023 | 171 |
| 2024 | 171 |
| 2025 | 181 |
| 2026 (to 8 Nov 2026) | 118 |
| Type | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Border rejection | 187 | 21% |
| Alert | 50 | 6% |
| Information for follow up | 412 | 46% |
| Information for attention | 243 | 27% |
| Risk decision | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Serious | 51 | 6% |
| Potentially serious | 89 | 10% |
| Potential risk | 479 | 54% |
| Not serious | 36 | 4% |
| Undecided | 235 | 26% |
| No risk | 2 | under 1% |
| Product | Notifications |
|---|---|
| Food supplements | 458 |
| Tea | 31 |
| Soft drinks | 20 |
| Betel nuts | 15 |
| Energy drinks | 13 |
| Jelly sweets | 13 |
| Herbal infusions | 12 |
| Spirits | 10 |
| Berries | 8 |
| Coffee | 7 |
| Origin | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 153 | 17% |
| United Kingdom | 80 | 9% |
| Netherlands | 79 | 9% |
| China | 75 | 8% |
| Origin not given | 67 | 8% |
| India | 52 | 6% |
| Poland | 50 | 6% |
| Germany | 27 | 3% |
| Czechia | 21 | 2% |
| Spain | 21 | 2% |
| Thailand | 19 | 2% |
| Sweden | 15 | 2% |
| Product category | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Food supplements and dietetic foods | 525 | 59% |
| Other and mixed food products | 71 | 8% |
| Cocoa, coffee and tea | 61 | 7% |
| Fruit and vegetables | 45 | 5% |
| Non alcoholic beverages | 43 | 5% |
| Herbs and spices | 37 | 4% |
| Confectionery | 31 | 3% |
| Nuts, nut products and seeds | 25 | 3% |
| Alcoholic beverages | 13 | 1% |
| Cereals and bakery products | 12 | 1% |
| Prepared dishes and snacks | 11 | 1% |
| Soups, sauces and condiments | 8 | under 1% |
| Notifying country | Notifications | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 135 | 15% |
| Spain | 103 | 12% |
| Belgium | 95 | 11% |
| Sweden | 95 | 11% |
| Poland | 92 | 10% |
| Austria | 58 | 7% |
| Slovenia | 58 | 7% |
| Italy | 48 | 5% |
Get these by email
A free weekly digest of new notifications for the products and origins you pick. Or tell us you would pay EUR 29 a month for an email the same day the EU publishes one.