Botanicals are defined by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as “material, preparations or substances obtained from plants or other vegetative organisms, such as algae, fungi or lichen”; they are complex matrices of substances bonded together at a molecular level with multi-faceted applications.
Plant extracts are widely commercialized on the EU market as foods or as herbal medicines. When they fall under the condition of “herbal medicine” meeting the criteria of traditional use, then they can undergo a simplified registration process (THMP). Another story is when they are identified as food: the use and health claims authorization is managed by EFSA.
Discover more in this panel discussion on AGROFOOD!