It confirms that while traditional olive preparations remain outside Novel Food rules, highly concentrated extracts rich in polyphenols such as hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol are classified as Novel Foods unless specifically authorised, Jerome Le Bloch, head of scientific affairs at FoodChain ID, told NutraIngredients.
He explained that while the revision does not introduce new policy, it aligns the catalogue with existing EFSA consultation outcomes, turning previously advisory science into official rules, reducing uncertainty for the industry.
Novel Food status of olive
Le Bloch noted that olive is the ‘perfect example’ of the evaluation of novel food ingredient.
“While the raw material is a foodstuff, extracts with higher polyphenol concentrations are considered novel food due to a selective purification,” he said. “These evaluations can be extrapolated to many botanical ingredients, for which the concentration in active compounds is increased compared to the raw material.”
For companies working with olive ingredients, the distinction between “traditional olive preparations” and “novel olive extracts” is clear, Le Bloch said. “Standard preparations are not novel, but any process increasing the levels of polyphenols, notably tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol, is novel and not authorized,” he explained.
Why do polyphenol-rich olive extracts attract greater regulatory scrutiny?
Research shows that extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) can support cardiovascular, cognitive and metabolic health by improving lipid profiles, reducing LDL oxidation, and lowering inflammation and oxidative stress. These effects come from its bioactive polyphenols, such as hydroxytyrosol and oleocanthal, which actively influence pathways related to inflammation and oxidative damage.
Human studies demonstrate that regular intake of polyphenol-rich olive oil improves vascular function and immune markers in a dose-dependent manner, particularly compared with low phenolic oils.
Yet, more recent findings also show that isolated or enriched olive-derived polyphenols can independently reduce oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines and DNA damage, suggesting some targeted bioactive compounds could offer more specific physiological effects.
As Le Bloch explained, hydroxytyrosol-rich extracts and olive polyphenols are getting more attention from regulators because multiple companies are selling them and inquiring about Novel Food status. However, attempts to clarify the regulatory status through EU consultation procedures have confirmed certain high-purity olive polyphenol extracts fall within the Novel Food definition.
“Two of them tried to solve the uncertainty about the regulatory status by submitting consultation processes, but unfortunately, the conclusions were negative for both applications,” said Le Bloch.
As Le Bloch noted, submitting to the consultation process itself carries a degree of risk. While it can help clarify the status of an ingredient and resolve questions around Novel Food classification, it can also bring previously less-scrutinized substances into sharper regulatory focus.
That said, there are ongoing Novel Food applications for these extracts currently underway, with regulatory authorization expected by the end of the year, Le Bloch added.
