Safety of vitamin D₂ mushroom powder as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on vitamin D₂ mushroom powder as a novel food (NF) pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. The NF is an ingredient produced from Agaricus bisporus mushrooms that have been exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light to induce the conversion of provitamin D₂ (ergosterol) to vitamin D₂ (ergocalciferol). The NF contains concentrations of vitamin D provided by vitamin D₂ in the ranges of 1,000–1,300 μg/g. The information provided on the manufacturing process, composition and specifications of the NF does not raise safety concerns. The applicant intends to add the NF in a variety of foods and beverages, including food for special medical purposes and food supplements. The target population is the general population except for food supplements, for which the target population is individuals above seven months of age. The Panel concludes that the NF, used as an ingredient, is safe for the general population at the proposed condition of use in foods and beverages and that the NF used as a food supplement, is safe for individuals above 1 year. The Panel, however, notes that the UL for infants aged 0–6 months may be exceeded in high consumers of infant formula (IF) and/or follow-on formula (FoF) that may also be high consumers of foods fortified with the NF and for infants aged 7–12 months consuming a daily vitamin D oral supplementation of 10 μg. However, the Panel considers this scenario unlikely as complementary feeding in high consumers of IF and/or FoF may be limited. Furthermore, the combined consumption of vitamin D via fortified foods and supplements does not specifically concern this NF application. The Panel concludes that the NF is safe under the proposed conditions of use for the proposed target populations.