Isomalto-oligosaccharide is a novel carbohydrate.

The company, Bioneutra Inc., had isomalto-oligosaccharide authorised in July 2013 to be added to a range of foods. Bioneutra has now submitted an application to extend the uses of its isomalto-oligosaccharide into these additional foods:

• desserts, crackers, nutritional food bars, edible ices, flavoured drinks, sweet sauces, toppings and syrups, ready-to-eat savouries and snacks and foods intended for particular nutritional uses

The applicant also makes a suggestion for amending the labelling of foods containing this ingredient.

A novel food is a food or food ingredient that does not have a significant history of consumption within the European Union before 15 May 1997.

Before any new food product can be introduced on the European market, it must be rigorously assessed for safety. In the UK, the assessment of novel foods is carried out by an independent committee of scientists appointed by the Food Standards Agency, the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP).

The Food Standards Agency is inviting comments on the application dossier. Any comments should be emailed to the ACNFP Secretariat atacnfp@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk by Thursday 5 June 2014.

The comments received will be passed to the committee for consideration before it begins its assessment of this novel food ingredient.