D-ribose: 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:

• Cereal bars: 0,20 g/100 g
• Fine bakery wares: 0,31 g/100 g
• Chocolate confectionery (excluding chocolate bars): 0,17 g/100 g
• Milk-based drinks (excluding malts and shakes): 0,08 g/100 g
• Drinks intended to meet the expenditure of intense muscular effort especially for sportsmen, isotonic and energy drinks: 0,80 g/100 g
• Bars intended to meet the expenditure of intense muscular effort especially for sportsmen: 3,3 g/100 g
• Meal replacement for weight control (as drinks)': 0,13 g/100 g
• Meal replacement for weight control (as bars): 3,30 g/100 g
• Confectionery: 0,20 g/100 g
• Tea and infusions (in powder form to be reconstituted): 0,23 g/100 g

Additional specific labelling requirements

The designation of the novel food on the labelling of the foodstuffs containing it shall be ‘D-ribose’. The labelling of foods containing D-ribose shall bear a statement that the foods should not be used if food supplements containing D-ribose are consumed the same day.

Specification (Table 2)

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

Description

D-ribose is an aldopentose monosaccharide which is produced by fermentation using a transketolase-deficient strain of Bacillus subtilis.

Chemical formula: C5H10O5

CAS No: 50-69-1

Molecular mass: 150,13 Da

Characteristics/Composition

Appearance: Dry with powdery texture, white to slightly yellow in colour

Specific rotation [α]D 25: - 19,0° to - 21,0°

D-ribose purity (% dry basis):

-HPLC/RI (8) Method 98,0-102,0 %

Ash: < 0,2 %

Loss on drying (moisture): < 0,5 %

Clarity on solution: ≥ 95 % transmittance

Heavy metals

Lead: ≤ 0,1 mg/kg

Arsenic: ≤ 0,1 mg/kg

Cadmium: ≤ 0,1 mg/kg

Mercury: ≤ 0,1 mg/kg

Microbiological criteria

Total plate count: ≤ 100 CFU (9)/g

Yeast: ≤ 100 CFU/g

Moulds: ≤ 100 CFU/g

Coliforms: ≤ 10 CFU/g

Salmonella sp: Negative/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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