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Written question asked by Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 September 2026. It was answered by Stephen Morgan (Labour) on Wednesday, 23 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Mushrooms: Novel Foods

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Food Standards Agency on its decision to classify Trametes Versicolor and Cordyceps Militaris as novel foods and plans for assessing the safety of consumption of those functional mushrooms.

Answer

The Department of Health and Social Care is the sponsoring department of the Food Standards Agency.

Based on the information currently available to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Trametes versicolor and Cordyceps militaris have not been consumed to a significant degree as food in the UK or EU before 15 May 1997. They are therefore likely to be considered novel foods, which must be authorised before they are placed on the market in Great Britain.

If any Food Business Operator (FBO) would like the FSA to make formal determinations on the novel food status of these two mushroom species, they can submit consultation requests (under Article 4 of assimilated Regulation 2015/2283), including the evidence required on history of consumption.

When an FBO submits an application for the authorisation of a novel food, the safety of the food is considered as part of the risk assessment stage of the process.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
26398
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Food Standards Agency Consumption Mushrooms Novel foods Safety
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk