Food products

"Novel foods" are foods and food ingredients that have not been used for human consumption to a significant degree in the EU before 15 May 1997.

Irradiation is a physical treatment of food with high-energy, ionising radiation. It can be used to prolong the shelf life of food products and/or to reduce health hazards associated with certain products due to the presence of pathogenic micro-organisms.

FoodContaminants are substances that have not been intentionally added to food. These substances may be present in food as a result of the various stages of its production, packaging, transport or holding. They also might result from environmental contamination.

Food additives are substances added intentionally to foodstuffs to perform certain technological functions, for example to colour, to sweeten, or to preserve. There are many legislations concerning food additives that producers and exporters need to understand.

Food contact materials are all materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs, such as packaging materials as well as cutlery, dishes, processing machines, containers etc. The term also includes materials and articles which are in contact with water intended for human consumption; however, it does not cover fixed public or private water supply equipment.

In the European Union, rules are put in place on the labelling of foodstuffs to enable European consumers to get comprehensive information on the contents and the composition of food products. Labelling helps consumers to make an informed choice while purchasing their foodstuffs.