EU Food Safety Authority Confirms Safety of Tiger Nut Oil as Novel Food

On November 27, 2024, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) announced that its Nutritional, Novel Foods, and Food Allergens (NDA) panel has published a scientific opinion on the safety of tiger nut oil (Cyperus esculentus oil) as a novel food.

After a thorough assessment, the expert panel concluded that tiger nut oil is safe for use under the proposed conditions.

At the request of the European Commission, EFSA's NDA panel issued an opinion on the safety of tiger nut oil as a novel food (NF) according to regulation (EU) 2015/2283. Tiger nuts are edible tuberous plants with a history of consumption. The NF is extracted from the nuts through cold-pressing seed flour. Oleic acid is the main component, comprising 65%-69% of the total fatty acids in the oil. The applicant proposes to use the NF as an ingredient in various food categories, as well as for use as an edible oil or condiment. The expert panel indicated that as long as the NF complies with the suggested specifications throughout its shelf life, there would be no safety concerns regarding its stability. Considering the NF's composition and proposed use conditions, its consumption poses no adverse nutritional effects. The assessment group deemed that toxicological studies were unnecessary based on the production process, composition, historical use, and source of the NF. The panel concluded that the NF is safe under the suggested usage conditions.