What are novel and traditional foods?
Novel food refers to food that European citizens have not consumed to a significant degree prior to May 1997. It includes food from new sources (e.g. oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids from krill), food obtained through the application of new technologies (e.g. nanotechnology) or by using new substances (e.g. phytosterols or plant sterols).
Traditional food is a subset of novel food. The term relates to food traditionally consumed in countries outside the EU. It includes foods made from plants, microorganisms, fungi, algae and animals (e.g., chia seeds, baobab fruit, insects, water chestnuts).
Novel and traditional food: guidance finalised
Algae species consumed as traditional food
Seaweed is used in many countries for very different purposes - directly as food, especially in sushi, as a source of phycocolloids, extraction of compounds with antiviral, antibacterial or antitumor activity and as biofertilizers. About four million tons of seaweed are harvested annually worldwide. Of the various species known, less than 20 account for 90% of the biomass exploited commercially.
This book details 147 species of edible seaweed, including scientific name and respective common names, geographic location, nutritional composition, uses and is extensively illustrated.
Based on “Edible Seaweeds of the World”,© Pereira L, 2016.
