The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has ruled in favour of granting novel food authorisation for Avena Nordic Grain’s rapeseed-based plant protein and fibre powder, the company says.
“Favourable opinion means that our BlackGrain from Yellow Fields product has been assessed safe by the authority,” said Avena R&D manager Kaisu Riihinen on 7 August.
The company’s novel food application would now move forward to the European Commission, which was expected to make a decision on authorisation by the beginning of 2021.
BlackGrain was made from oilseed expellers or meal, which was primarily used in animal feed applications, Avena said.
“Through development, it can now be used to make rapeseed powder suitable for human consumption,” Riihinen said.
The company had tested and adapted the product for use in breads, cereal bars, snacks, granola, muesli, meat analogs and meatballs.
Riihinen said BlackGrain was a three-in-one combination of plant protein (33-43%), dietary fibre (33-43%) and encapsulated rapeseed oil (14.22%) which was vegan, gluten-, GMO- and soya-free.
