As a reminder, on 29 July 2022, the Belgian Authorities notified the European Commission of a draft text amending the annex to the Royal Decree of 31 August 2021 on the manufacture of and trade in foodstuffs consisting of or containing plants or plant preparations.

The modifications are linked to some recommendations of the Advisory Commission for Plant Preparations (example: Tinospora cordifolia) as well as the reassessment of the novel food status of around forty plants present in list 3 (positive list of plants for food supplements) (example: Pelargonium sidoides considered as novel food).

The consultation period for the draft text at European level has been postponed from 31 October 2022 to 30 January 2023, in particular because of a detailed opinion from the French authorities.

The European associations Food supplements Europe and EHPM also submitted contributions concerning this draft text, indicating that questioning the non-novel food status of plants on a positive list for many years would undermine legal certainty.