The Food Standards Agency has confirmed that whole or ground chia seeds cannot be placed on the market in Britain as they do not have Novel Foods authorisation.
Chia seeds are native to South America, although Australia is now the largest commercial producer. Naturally high in antioxidants, omega-3s and protein (and gluten-free), they have been identified by nutritionists and health writers as the next big ‘superfood’ — Patrick Holford wrote about them in the June issue of Natural Products
But the seeds fall into the category of Novel Foods — ie one that “does not have a significant history of consumption within the EU before 15 May 1997”. Novel Foods require an authorisation to show they undergone a rigorous safety assessment approved by the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP). Currently no authorisations have been issued for whole chia seed or ground seed products.
A spokesperson for the FSA told Natural Products that “it it not currently permissible to place chia seeds onto the market”. She added that retailers who currently sell chia seeds (NP is aware that products are on shelves) could face investigation by local Trading Standards, but that the Agency would recommend “proportionate action”.
• A bread product containing flour from chia seed, made by the Chia Company, secured a positive opinion from ACNFP earlier this year. The product is authorised to use a maximum of 5% chia seed derived ingredients.
It has to be insane that a food that has been eaten since 500BC as a staple food cannot be eaten in Britain! It’s not as if Mexicans are a different species. Maybe the English football team should have been eating chia seeds – reputed to give energy for marathons. Let’s hope that the ACNFP apply common sense. The novel Food Act is there for controlling man-made food additives, not natural foods.
There is some infactual inforamtion above in your statements and I would be more than willing to discuss with any member of your team please do not hesitate to contact me.
Firstly – Austrilia is not the largest producer yet one of the newest producer.
Our product was given the Ok by the FSA to put on the market in UK shops as an ingredient to make your own bread products. I have infomration to back that statement. Our product also uses the only seeds currently approved under the novel food act.
Chia is been consumed all over Europe over the last few years like a drug been dealt under the table. More studies and analysis have been done and its safe use. This is a very high nutritioanl food that I will continue to work close with the FSA to change the use of it.
Kind Regards,
Barrie Rogers
There is a lot of confusion and I have been working with the FSA on it. Chia Seed is like a square peg in a round hole in relation to the Novel Food act.
There is nothing but positives about Chia Seed. FDA in america have classed it as a whole raw food, Austrialia and New Zealand also giving it approval due to the Nutritional content of it.
Barrie, I’d be very pleased to discuss the information you have from the FSA — and correct any inaccuracies in our report.
The short article was written in response to requests (from wholesalers and retailers) for clarification on the current status of chia seed in the UK. This part of our report was based on an official statement given to us by the FSA press office.
Chia: an update
A number of NP readers (manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers) have asked for further clarification on chia seeds. Two suppliers have suggested that they have authorisations from the FSA to sell pre-pack whole chia seeds as a breadmaking ingredient if the product carries a disclaimer indicating that the product is for bread-making and (chia) subject to a maximum of 5% weight of finished product.
The FSA says this is in fact a misinterpretation of the existing authorisations and has restated that the original article is correct — ie that, currently, no authorisations have granted for the retail sale of whole or ground chia seeds.
Typical of this country… something healthy is ‘banned’ while junk food proliferates. Big Phood and Big Pharma just want us fat, drugged up and stupid so that they can run their own corporate money-grabbing agenda. Buy your chia seeds online from the US!
Chia benefits have been proven over the years its just amazing on how we need to reeducate ourselves sometimes.
This is a little crazy ~ smells a little strange to me ~ chia is such a harmless and beneficial food!
I have been buying chia seeds from UK based websites for months plus many other goodies unavailable in stores.
-A research conducted by The Netherlands’ Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences in 2004 concluded that chia seeds increase the risk of prostate cancer in men