The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) has opened a call to all small- and medium-sized businesses in the novel foods sector that are interested in receiving the agency’s guidance on the application requirements for novel food authorization in the EU.

Through its call for expressions of interest, EFSA aims to reach small- and medium-sized businesses to raise awareness of and increase access to the General Pre-Submission Advice (GPSA) service. GPSA can be requested at any time before the submission of an application for novel food authorization. However, the call for expressions of interest focuses on two key stages that may be particularly relevant for small- and medium-sized businesses with limited or no experience in preparing and submitting a novel food application:

• The early development stage, before initiating studies that are required as part of an application
• The final preparation stages, when most of the information that must be included in the application is available.

Information submitted in response to the call, to request advice, and during meetings will be kept confidential. The only information EFSA will potentially make publicly available is a summary of the advice given to businesses.

The call for expressions of interest is open until June 12, 2025, and submissions can be made on EFSA’s website.