Tiger nut oil authorized in the EU: what food companies must review

Key data

Food companies wishing to market tiger nut oil in the EU now have a corrected version of the regulation that they must use as a reference. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1528, which authorized the placing on the market of oil extracted from Cyperus esculentus (tiger nut) as a new food, contains material errors that have been amended through this rectification published on 8 September 2026.

The correction is not a minor procedural matter: in new food authorizations, the technical details of the text—product specifications, conditions of use, labeling requirements—are precisely what determine whether a company can or cannot legally market the product. Any discrepancy between the original and corrected text can directly affect the validity of processes already initiated.

What does this regulation establish?

The rectification amends material errors in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1528, which authorized the marketing of tiger nut oil as a new food in the European Union. That original regulation also amended Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470, which is the consolidated register of all new foods authorized in the EU.

New food authorizations under the European framework always include three types of conditions that operators must comply with:

• Technical product specifications: composition parameters, purity and characteristics of the oil that the marketed product must meet.
• Conditions of use: food categories in which the oil can be incorporated and maximum permitted levels.
• Labeling requirements: mandatory statements that must appear on the product labeling or on the food containing it.

The rectification corrects material errors in the original text. This means that one or more of these elements contained inaccuracies in the version published on 31 July 2025, and the valid version is now the corrected one. The corrected text is the one with legal force.

Economic and operational impact

For companies that were already working with the original text of Regulation (EU) 2025/1528—whether to develop products, prepare labels or plan the supply chain—this rectification implies a mandatory review of all internal documents prepared to date.

The operational impact is concentrated in three areas:

• Product development: if technical specifications have changed, batches in development or technical datasheets already prepared may not be compliant.
• Labeling: any artwork or label text prepared with the original regulation must be verified against the corrected version before printing or launching.
• Supplier relationships: supply agreements or specifications sent to raw material suppliers must be updated if the oil specifications have changed.

From an opportunity perspective, tiger nut is a crop with historical roots in Spain—especially in the Valencian Community—and this authorization opens a path for marketing the oil on a European scale that did not previously exist. National producers and processors have a starting advantage in product knowledge and access to raw materials.

Who does it affect?

• Food manufacturers who want to incorporate tiger nut oil as an ingredient in their products.
• Extraction and refining companies that process tiger nuts to obtain oil for the food market.
• Distributors and marketers of new foods or functional ingredients in the EU.
• Agricultural producers of tiger nuts who are considering expanding their value chain towards processing.
• Regulatory advisors and food labeling consultants who work with sector clients.
• Importers and exporters of specialty vegetable oils within the European single market.

Practical example

A Valencian company that produces horchata and tiger nut derivatives decides to take advantage of the authorization of Regulation (EU) 2025/1528 to launch a virgin tiger nut oil on the market under its own brand. Its technical team had prepared the product sheet and label draft based on the original text published on 31 July 2025.

With the publication of this rectification on 8 September 2026, the company must stop the labeling validation process and compare point by point its draft with the corrected text. If any of the mandatory statements or oil specifications have changed in the rectification, the labeling must be modified before launching the product. Marketing with labeling based on the incorrect text would constitute non-compliance with the new foods regulation, with the consequences of inspection and product withdrawal that this entails.

What should companies do now?

1. Download the amended text from the EU Official Journal and replace any previous version of Regulation (EU) 2025/1528 being used as an internal reference.
2. Compare the corrected text with the original to identify exactly what material errors have been amended: technical specifications, conditions of use or labeling requirements.
3. Review all internal technical documentation—product sheets, label drafts, supplier specifications—and update it if necessary.
4. Inform the development team and labeling department that the valid version is the amended one, not the one published on 31 July 2025.
5. Consult with a regulatory advisor specialized in new foods if there are doubts about the scope of changes or the impact on authorization processes already initiated.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=OJ:L_202690756