Regulatory and Legislative Framework for Novel Foods

The course is aimed at training doctoral students on the regulation of novel foods in the EU, the United States and elsewhere. The course will analyze the motivations that lead to the regulation of novel foods, questioning how these regulatory objectives can be achieved. In fact, the regulation of novel foods can be understood as the legislator's reaction to what is "unknown to date", even if what is new today may not be new tomorrow. Over the past decade, the novel foods industry has grown exponentially due to the need to feed a growing global population while adhering to sustainability constraints that include the reduction of cultivated land, water and other limited natural resources. The task of this regulatory activity is to find a compromise between adequate government oversight of novel foods and the need for innovation, creativity and growth. Specifically, the teaching will address the following topics: i) how novel foods are defined, ii) why regulation is necessary, iii) how novel foods are regulated in Europe, the United States and other jurisdictions (New Zealand/Australia, Brazil, Canada, China). Regulatory problems relating to: genetically modified foods, foods containing nanomaterials, foods containing insect flours will also be addressed. Finally, issues relating to intellectual property will be addressed.