Monk fruit is no longer a novelty in the EU
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Ireland's food regulator, ruled that monk fruit concoctions had become commonplace. Ireland was the only EU country to give the green light.
Monk fruit decoctions are processed foods made from this low-calorie subtropical fruit. It has been cultivated for centuries in the mountains of southern China.
Monk fruit decoctions differ from monk fruit sweeteners, which are considered a food additive and have not been approved by either the EU or the UK.
Where was monk fruit decoction approved before?
Monk fruit decoctions have been classified as “non-new.” In the UK earlier this yearIn June this year, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) ruled that there was evidence of monk fruit tea being consumed by UK residents.
In the UK it was initially considered a novel food due to its EU membership. It was determined that they had not been consumed in significant quantities before May 1997. Monk Fruit Corp., the supplier of monk fruit decoction, provided the FSA with evidence after the UK left the EU that monk fruit in Britain had been consumed before May 1997.
Monk Fruit Corp speculated that the approval would mean the fruit would soon no longer be a "novelty" in the EU.
Why were they deemed to be 'not new' to Ireland?
The FSAI ruled that monk fruit teas were "not new". Monk Fruit Corp had gathered evidence that they were consumed "to a substantial degree" in the EU before May 1997. By EU standards, they are not new.
Monk Fruit Corp has spent more than seven years gathering evidence on the use of monk fruit tea and preparing a compelling case to submit to the FSAI. David Thorrold, Monk Fruit Corp’s general manager of sales and marketing, told FoodNavigator that a variety of evidence can be presented to prove a history of use, including invoices, government documents, books and even personal testimonies.
The EU has now aligned itself with other countries, including the United States, Canada and Australia.
Thorrold, of Monk Fruit Corp., says the new FSAI ruling allows monk fruit decoctions to be used in foods and drinks sold in Europe as a low-calorie sweetening ingredient.
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