Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica): authorised novel food in the EU

Conditions of use and maximum levels

Table 1, column "Conditions under which the novel food may be used", as written:

• Bread products: 5 % (whole or ground chia seeds)
• Baked products: 10 % whole chia seeds
• Breakfast cereals: 10 % whole chia seeds
• Sterilised ready to eat meals based on cereal grains, pseudocereal grains and/or pulses: 5 % whole chia seeds
• Fruit, nut and seed mixes
• Chia seeds as such
• Confectionery (including chocolate and chocolate products), excluding chewing gums
• Dairy products (including yoghurt) and analogues
• Edible ices
• Fruit and vegetables products (including fruit spreads, compotes with/without cereals, fruit-preparations to underlay or to be mixed with dairy products, fruit desserts, mixed fruits with coconut milk for a twin pot)
• Non-alcoholic beverages (including fruit juice and fruit/vegetable blend beverages)
• Puddings that do not require heat treatment at or above 120 °C in their manufacture, processing or preparation

Additional specific labelling requirements

The designation of the novel food on the labelling of the foodstuffs containing it shall be ‘Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica)’

Specification (Table 2)

Table 2 of the Annex, row with the same name, as written:

Description/Definition:

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is a summer annual herbaceous plant belonging to the Labiatae family. Post-harvest the seeds are cleaned mechanically. Flowers, leaves and other parts of the plant are removed.

Dry matter: 90-97 %

Protein: 15-26 %

Fat: 18-39 %

Carbohydrate (*): 18-43 %

Crude Fibre(**): 18-43 %

Ash: 3-7 %

(*) Carbohydrates include the fibre value

(**) Crude fibre is the part of fibre made mainly of indigestible cellulose, pentosans and lignin

Production process:

Production process of fruit juices and fruit juice blends beverages, containing Chia seeds, includes seed pre-hydration and pasteurisation steps. Microbiological controls and monitoring systems are in place.

Source and version

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470, Annex, Union list of novel foods, Table 1. Consolidated text of 10 August 2026. The text above is copied from that document without change except that amendment markers are removed. It is not advice and it does not decide whether a particular product is covered.

• Consolidated text on EUR-Lex

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