II 
(Non-legislative acts) 
REGUL ATIONS 
COMMI SSION IMPLEMENTING REGUL ATION (EU) 2018/2016 
of 18 December 2018 
author ising the placing on the market of decor ticated grains of Digitar ia exilis as a traditional food 
from a third countr y under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 of the European Parliament and of the 
Council and amending Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 
(Text with EEA relevance) 
THE EUR OPEAN COMMISSION, 
Having regar d to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, 
Having rega rd to Regulation (EU) No 2015/2283 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 
on novel foods, amending Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing 
Regulation (EC) No 258/97 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1852/2001 (1), and in particular Article 15(4) thereof, 
Whereas: 
(1)  Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 provi des that only novel foods author ised and included in the Union list may be 
placed on the mark et within the Union. Traditional food from a third countr y is a novel food defined in Article 3 
of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. 
(2)  Pursuant to Article 8 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 (2) 
establishing a Union list of author ised novel foods was adopt ed. 
(3)  Pursuant to Article 15(4) of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, the Commission is to decide on the author isation and 
on the placing on the Union mark et of a traditional food from a third countr y. 
(4)  On 23 Januar y 2018, the compan y Obà Food Srl. (‘the applicant ’) submitted a notifi cation to the Commission of 
the intention to place decor ticat ed grains of Digitar ia exilis (Kippist) Stapf (‘Fonio’) on the Union market as 
a traditional food from a third countr y within the meaning of Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. The 
applicant requests for decor ticated grains of Digitar ia exilis (Kippist) Stapf to be consumed as such or as a food 
ingredient by the general population. 
(5)  The documente d data, present ed by the applicant, demonstrate that decor ticat ed grains of Digitar ia exilis (Kippist) 
Stapf have a histo ry of safe food use in West African countr ies, in particular Guinea, Nige ria and Mali. 
(6)  Pursuant to Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, on 28 Febr uary 2018, the Commission forwarded the 
valid notific ation to the Member States and to the European Food Safe ty Author ity (‘the Auth ority’). 
(7)  No duly reasoned safety objections to the placing on the mark et within the Union of decor ticated grains of 
Digitar ia exilis (Kippist) Stapf were submitte d to the Commission by Member States or the Author ity within the 
four-month period laid down in Article 15(2) of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. 19.12.2018 L 323/1 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     
(1)OJ L 327, 11.12.2015, p. 1. 
(2)Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 of 20 December 2017 establishing the Union list of novel foods in accordance 
with Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 of the European Parliament and of the Council on novel foods (OJ L 351, 30.12.2017, p. 72). (8)  The Commission should theref ore author ise the placing on the mark et within the Union of decor ticat ed grains of 
Digitar ia exilis (Kippist) Stapf and update the Union list of novel foods. 
(9)  Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 should theref ore be amended according ly, 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGUL ATION: 
Article 1 
1. Decor ticat ed grains of Digitar ia exilis (Kippist) Stapf as specif ied in the Annex to this Regulation shall be included 
in the Union list of author ised novel foods established in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470. 
2. The entr y in the Union list refer red to in paragraph 1 shall include the conditions of use and labelling 
requirements laid down in the Annex to this Regulation 
Article 2 
The Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation. 
Article 3 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day followi ng that of its publication in the Official Journal of the 
European Union. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member State s. 
Done at Brussels, 18 December 2018. 
For the Commission 
The President 
Jean-Claude JUNCK ER  19.12.2018 L 323/2 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN     ANNEX 
The Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 is amended as follows:  
(1) The followi ng entr y is inser ted in Table 1 (Author ised novel foods) in alphabetical order: 
Autho rised novel food Conditions under whic h the novel food may be used Additional specific labelling requirements Other requirements 
‘Decor ticated grains of Digitar ia exilis (Kippist) 
Stapf 
(Traditional food from a third countr y) Not specified The designation of the novel food on the label ­
ling of the foodstuffs containing it shall be 
“decor ticat ed fonio (Digitar ia exilis) grains”’    
(2) The followi ng entr y is inser ted in Table 2 (Specifi cations) in alphabetical order: 
Autho rised Novel Food Specifications 
‘Decor ticated grains of Digitar ia exilis (Kippist) 
Stapf (fonio) 
(Traditional food from a third countr y) Descr iption/Def inition 
The traditional food is the decor ticat ed grain (bran remo ved) of Digitar ia exilis (Kippist) Stapf. 
Digitar ia exilis (Kippist) Stapf) is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the Poaceae family . 
Typical nutr itional components of decor ticated grain of fonio 
Carbohydr ates: 76,1 g/100 g of fonio 
Water: 12,4 g/100 g of fonio 
Protein : 6,9 g/100 g of fonio 
Fat: 1,2 g/100 g of fonio 
Fibre: 2,2 g/100 g of fonio 
Ash: 1,2 g/100 g of fonio 
Phytate cont ent: ≤ 2,1 mg/g’   19.12.2018 L 323/3 Official Jour nal of the European Union EN