Food or medicine?

Vitafoods, held in Geneva last month, is the annual event where just about every plant extract, new ingredient and health claim can be found within...

Vitafoods, held in Geneva last month, is the annual event where just about every plant extract, new ingredient and health claim can be found within the confines of one exhibition. It's a playground for new product concepts, but what happens when you apply the dreaded regulatory requirements over the effervescent innovation?

You may find that your new ingredient or extract requires a novel food authorisation, or worse, might even be a medicinal substance.

A case in point is Hoodia gordonii. This extract is reputed to have powerful appetite suppressant qualities, which is perfect if you are looking to lead the next diet revolution. Unfortunately it was placed on the European market in slimming pills, originating from Germany, and in March 2005 the Dutch authorities withdrew them on the basis that Hoodia gordonii is an unauthorised novel food, and they followed with a notification to the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed.

A public withdrawal of an unauthorised novel food should be warning enough that this particular extract is certainly not permitted without further authorisation, but the question is under which jurisdiction should it fall?

The UK Food Standards Agency has confirmed that Hoodia gordonii is considered to be a medicinal substance in the UK, therefore within the jurisdiction of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority.

The non-harmonisation of the medicines frameworks, particularly with regard to herbs and plant extracts, is an increasing problem for the food industry. Extract manufacturers are facing a significant unknown with the coming into force of the Traditional Herbal Medicines Directive on October 30, 2005.

The repercussions of this Directive could be serious for the food industry unless the boundaries between extracts used for 'functional foods' and extracts with medicinal properties are clearly defined -- a reality currently far from apparent.

Jean Feord, Business Manager for Legislation,Leatherhead Food International

http://www.leatherheadfood.com