Voted in by the Council last week, ministers formally adopted the regulation on novel foods such as cloned meat, insects, chia seeds and nanotechnology yesterday, putting an end to seven years of negotiations.
In a statement, FoodDrinkEurope (FDE) said: "[We] look to this Regulation to contribute to research and innovation by simplifying and streamlining the current regulatory framework. It will contribute to the functioning of the internal market, and facilitate market access for novel food products by SMEs."
The trade group said it welcomed in particular the centralised authorisation procedure (administered by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)) which would be simplified and sped up, provisions for data protection and a definition of nano-materials, which will be subject to further amendment as knowledge on the subject evolves.
Meanwhile, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis welcomed the revised regulation and praised the European Parliament and European Council for finding common ground.
The regulation would create a more favourable environment for Europe’s agri-food industry - the second largest employer in Europe - allowing it to benefit from innovation, stimulate growth and create more jobs whilst maintaining a high level of safety, he said.
"Promoting food innovation is an important feature in the agreement. Under the new system, the company will be given the authorisation to market the food for five years, provided it creates innovation that is supported by new scientific data."
The Commission published a list of commonly asked questions and answers on the new regulation which can be read here.