Shipments of saskatoons from Canada to the UK could by halted this week after British experts decided the blueberry-like fruits should be classed as a ‘novel food’.


According to European Union regulations governing novel foods, any food that was not part of the European diet prior to 1997 must undergo food safety and nutrition testing before it is allowed on supermarket shelves.


Canadian farmers only started exporting saskatoons to the UK in the last few years and had argued that the fruit is so like the blueberry that it should be exempt from the regulation.


However, experts working for the UK’s Food Standards Agency have now said that the saskatoon is not related to the blueberry, but is in fact part of the family that includes apples and plums, reported the Globe and Mail.


“Now it’s a regulatory process, so the mechanism will have to run its course,” said Gordon Pugh, deputy director of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s trade division for the Eastern Hemisphere. 

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

“It’s really frustrating,” Pugh was quoted by the Globe and Mail as saying. “It seems so silly that this could be considered a novel food.”


Only a small amount of saskatoons are currently exported to the UK. The majority of the saskatoons grown in Canada are for domestic consumption, while exports are mostly limited to the US and Japan.