Chitin-glucan complex from Fomes fomentarius: 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:

• Food Supplements as defined in Directive 2002/46/EC: 5 g/day

Additional specific labelling requirements

The designation of the novel food on the labelling of the foodstuffs containing it shall be ‘Chitin-glucan from Fomes fomentarius’

Specification (Table 2)

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

Description/Definition:

Chitin-glucan complex is obtained from the cell walls of the fruit bodies of the fungus Fomes fomentarius. It consists primarily of two polysaccharides:

- Chitin, composed of repeating units of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (CAS No: 1398-61-4);

- Beta-(1,3)(1,6)-D-glucan, composed of repeating units of D-glucose (CAS No: 9041-22-9).

The production process consists of several steps, including: cleaning, reduction in size and grinding, softening in water and heating in an alkaline solution, washing, drying. No hydrolysis is applied during the production process.

Appearance: Powder, odourless, flavourless, brown

Purity:

Moisture: ≤ 15 %

Ash: ≤ 3,0 %

Chitin-glucan: ≥ 90 %

Ratio of chitin to glucan: 70:20

Total carbohydrates, excluding glucans: ≤ 0,1 %

Proteins: ≤ 2,0 %

Lipids: ≤ 1,0 %

Melanins: ≤ 8,3 %

Additives: none

pH: 6,7-7,5

Heavy metals:

Lead (ppm): ≤ 1,00

Cadmium (ppm): ≤ 1,00

Mercury (ppm): ≤ 0,03

Arsenic (ppm): ≤ 0,20Microbiological criteria:

Total mesophilic bacteria: ≤ 103/g

Yeast and moulds: ≤ 103/g

Coliforms at 30 °C: ≤ 103/g

E. coli: ≤ 10/g

Salmonella and other pathogenic bacteria: Absence/25 g

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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