In most countries around the world, no national safety regulation for the assessment of GEFs exists. Depending on the country, some GEFs may fall under the scope of other regulations on additives or enzymes, for example.
Some exceptions do exist.
In the Netherlands, a national novel foods regulation was passed in July 1993. In the European Union a Novel Foods Regulation is still pending. In Australia, a food standard specific to GEFs is under consideration but has yet to be developed. In the US, companies which plan to market a GEF voluntarily notify the US-FDA and voluntarily submit assessment data. No international standards relating to GEFs have, to date, been adopted by the UN Codex Alimentarius Commission.