Finland lifts noni juice ban
the import and sale of Tahitian noni juice.
The Finnish National Food Agency has lifted its temporary ban on the import, export, sale and serving of Tahitian noni juice. The Agency said the decision was made after confirming that the measures required when the ban was imposed in 1998 have been taken.
Traders in noni juice - the juice of the Indian mulberry or morinda citrifolia that grows in Polynesia and other parts of South East Asia - will now be allowed to market the product to the public.
When it first imposed the ban, the National Food Agency asked suppliers to find out whether the product required approval under the EU regulation concerning novel foods.
US-based Noni Juice producer Morinda undertook this task and in June obtained permission from the European Commission for use of noni juice as a novel food ingredient in pasteurised fruit drinks.
The National Food Agency also directed those responsible for importing, selling and marketing the product to remove from marketing and other materials any claims regarding the prevention, treatment or cure of human illness which are forbidden by food regulations. Claims for the juice range from immune and digestive system support to increasing memory span and physical performance. According to the Agency, this requirement still stands.
