European Parliament and EU Council Fail to Reach Agreement on Novel Foods Regulation

The European Parliament (EP) and European Union (EU) Council failed to reach agreement on an update to the novel foods regulation, which would have updated the 1997 regulation to address several issues, including nanoscale ingredients in food. According to a March 29, 2011, press release, the EP and Council disagreed on labeling food from cloned animals and their descendents, as well as nanotechnology. The draft legislation passed by the EP in July 2010 would have banned nanoscale ingredients from food until the risks posed are better understood, and would have required that any nanoscale ingredients eventually authorized be clearly labeled as such. The EP issued a March 29, 2011, statement, which notes that the failure to reach an agreement on the legislation means “[t]here will continue to be no special measures regarding nanomaterials in food, for example.”