Algae consumption in France and Europe keeps increasing. The consequence of this trend is a progressive increase in the number of species commercialized as food and food supplements.

Historically, France established a list of “edible” seaweeds in the early 1990s. This list has since been expanded through assessments in both France and Europe.

The edibility of seaweed in Europe is currently governed by the “Novel Food” legislation. This legislation applies to foods and ingredients that were not consumed in significant quantities in Europe before May 15, 1997. Seaweed and seaweed extracts are therefore currently authorized under the “Novel Food” status.

To take historical consumption into account, the EFSA recently updated the Novel Food Catalogue to clarify the uses of these new foods within member states, notably by adding seaweed and microalgae with “not novel food” status. It is sometimes difficult to find centralized information on the status of algae, their uses, and associated specifications. Therefore, we believe it is important to produce this CEVA regulatory summary, updated in 2026, in order to compile all this information into a document accessible to everyone.

Regulatory update 2026