Novel foods are foods and food ingredients that were not used for human consumption to a significant degree within the European Community before 15 May 1997. Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of January 1997 lays out detailed rules for the authorisation of novel foods and novel food ingredients. These rules were applicable also to foods containing or consisting of a genetically modified organism (GMO) until 2003 when the GMO Regulation came into force. The scientific aspects of information necessary to support applications for placing on the European market novel foods and novel food ingredients wereaddressed by recommendations of the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF).