EFSA has just published a scientific opinion on the assessment of the safety of pea and rice protein fermented by Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) mycelia as novel food. The ingredient was a mixture of fermented pea (65% à and rice protein (35%). EFSA notes that the novel food may contribute significantly to the dietary protein intake, which is already high in Europe. However, cumulative exposure to nutrients and contaminants did not raise any concern for EFSA. The novel food is proposed to be use’d in a large range of food products, at levels ranging from 1.04 to 100 g/100g. Most of the proposed uses are for moderate levels (5-26 g/100 g).

Interestingly, the application did not provide any toxicological data. No proprietary data has been provided, and no study has been obtained from the literature. Despite this majoir weakness in the dossier, EFSA considered that no toxicological study was required due to the nature of the novel food and an history of safe use of rice, pea and Shiitake.

In its conclusion, EFSA estimated that the novel food is safe under the proposed conditions of use.

EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens), Turck D, Bohn T, Castenmiller J, De Henauw S, Hirsch-Ernst KI, Maciuk A, Mangelsdorf I, McArdle HJ, Naska A, Pelaez C, Pentieva K, Siani A, Thies F, Tsabouri S, Vinceti M, Cubadda F, Frenzel T, HeinonenM, Marchelli R, Neuhauser-Berthold M, Poulsen M, Prieto Maradona M, Schlatter JR, van Loveren H, Roldan-Torres R and Knutsen HK, 2022. Scientific Opinion on the safety of pea and rice protein fermented by Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) mycelia as a Novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. EFSA Journal 2022;20(4):7205