EU Assesses the Safety of Vitamin D2 Mushroom Powder as a Novel Food

On June 12, 2024, according to a message released by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) Panel conducted a scientific evaluation on the safety of vitamin D2 mushroom powder as a novel food and published their opinion.

After a thorough assessment, the expert panel concluded that vitamin D2 mushroom powder is safe as a novel food under the proposed conditions of use. Specifically:

Firstly, the production process, ingredients, and specifications of this novel food do not pose any safety concerns. This vitamin D2 mushroom powder is derived from the common mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) and the original provitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is converted to vitamin D2 through UV irradiation.

Secondly, the applicant plans to add this novel food to a variety of foods and beverages, providing 1.2 micrograms or 2.4 micrograms of vitamin D2 per 100 grams/milliliters, and intends to add it to food supplements, with a maximum daily intake of 15 micrograms of vitamin D2.

Furthermore, the expert panel considered that the total intake of vitamin D from this novel food, daily diet, and fortified foods would not exceed the established upper limit, and is therefore safe for children, adolescents, and adults.

Finally, based on the comprehensive evaluation of the novel food's ingredients and the proposed conditions of use, the expert panel concluded that it would not have an adverse effect on the target population's nutritional status.

In summary, the expert panel concluded that vitamin D2 mushroom powder is safe as a novel food, provided that the proposed conditions of use are followed. This conclusion is of positive significance for expanding the sources of vitamin D supplementation and promoting a healthy diet.