Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1528 of 30 July 2025 authorising the placing on the market of Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil as a novel food and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470
Date: 2025-07-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, European Commission
Subjects: consumer information, food inspection, food safety, human nutrition, labelling, market approval, novel food, vegetable oil




L_202501528EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2025/1528


31.7.2025







            COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2025/1528
of 30 July 2025
         
authorising the placing on the market of Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil as a novel food and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470
(Text with EEA relevance)


THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,


Having regard to Regulation (EU) 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 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1852/2001 (1), and in particular Article 12(1) thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 provides that only novel foods authorised and included in the Union list of novel foods may be placed on the market within the Union.












(2)


Pursuant to Article 8 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 (2) has established a Union list of novel foods.












(3)


On 29 October 2020, the company Tigernuts traders, S.L. (‘the applicant’) submitted an application to the Commission for an authorisation in accordance with Article 10(1) of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 to place Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil on the Union market as a novel food. The applicant requested for the Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil to be used as such (for cooking or as a seasoning) and as an ingredient in several food categories for the general population.












(4)


On 8 November 2022, the Commission requested the European Food Safety Authority (‘the Authority’) to carry out an assessment of Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil as a novel food.












(5)


On 30 October 2024, the Authority adopted its scientific opinion on the safety of Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil as a novel food (3) in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283.












(6)


In its scientific opinion, the Authority concluded that Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil is safe for the general population under the proposed conditions of use. Therefore, that scientific opinion gives sufficient grounds to establish that Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil, when used under the proposed conditions of use, fulfils the conditions for its placing on the market in accordance with Article 12(1) of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283.












(7)


It is appropriate that the inclusion of Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil as a novel food in the Union list of novel foods contains the information referred to in Article 9(3) of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283.












(8)



Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil should be included in the Union list of novel foods set out in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470. The Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 should therefore be amended accordingly.












(9)


The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed,





HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:



Article 1

1.   Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil is authorised to be placed on the market within the Union.

Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil shall be included in the Union list of novel foods set out in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470.


2.   The Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.



Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following 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 States.
Done at Brussels, 30 July 2025.


For the Commission


The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN
            





(1)  
            OJ L 327, 11.12.2015, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2015/2283/oj.

(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, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2017/2470/oj).

(3)  
            EFSA Journal, 2024;22:e9102.




ANNEX
The Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470 is amended as follows:






(1)


in Table 1 (Authorised novel foods), the following entry is inserted:










Authorised novel food


Conditions under which the novel food may be used


Additional specific labelling requirements


Other requirements


Data protection




‘
Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil




Specified food category




Maximum levels



The designation of the novel food on the labelling of the foodstuffs containing it shall be “Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil”.


 


 





Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil as such


 




Pasta-based products


30 mL/100 g




Bread and rolls


30 mL/100 g




Snacks other than chips (crackers)


30 mL/100 g




Salad dressing


50 mL/100 g




Fats as defined in Appendix II of Annex VII of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1)



80 mL/100 g




Fine bakery wares


30 mL/100 g




Milk-based products (*)


60 mL/100 g










(*)


When used in milk-based products Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil may not replace in whole or in part any milk constituent.






 


 


 














(2)


in Table 2 (Specifications), the following entry is inserted:






Authorised Novel Food


Specifications




‘
Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) oil




Description:

The novel food is obtained from a pasteurisation of Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) L. tuber followed by a cold-pressing process.

Fatty acid composition:







 


Palmitic acid: 12-15 %










 


Stearic acid: 5-8 %










 


Oleic acid: 65-69 %










 


Linoleic acid: 9-12 %





Characteristics:







 


Acidity: ≤ 2 %










 


Peroxide value: ≤ 20 meq/kg










 


Saponification value: ≤ 189 mg KOH/g










 



p-anisidine: < 1





Heavy metals:







 


Lead: ≤ 0,1 mg/kg










 


Cadmium: ≤ 0,1 mg/kg





Mycotoxins:







 


Aflatoxins (sum of B1, B2, G1, G2): < 4 μg/kg










 


Aflatoxin B1: < 1 μg/kg










 


Ochratoxin A: < 3 μg/kg





Microbiological criteria:







 


Total Aerobic Microbial Count: ≤ 103 CFU /g










 


Total Yeast and Mould Count: ≤ 102 CFU /g










 


Coliforms: ≤ 10 CFU /g










 



Salmonella: Not detected in 25g










 



Listeria monocytogenes: Not detected in 25g










 


Enterobacteriaceae: < 102 CFU /g




CFU: colony forming units’










(1)  Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1308/oj).’
         



ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/1528/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)