Kenari Nuts Authorized for the EU Market as a Traditional Food from a Third Country
Originally published: 2023 · Last updated: August 2026
KENARI NUTS AUTHORIZED FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION MARKET
In March 2023, Kenari reached one of the most important milestones in its international development.
The European Commission adopted Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/667, authorizing dried Canarium indicum L. nuts for placement on the European Union market as a traditional food from a third country.
For Kawanasi, the decision marked a major step in bringing a distinctive Indonesian forest nut to European consumers and food businesses.
It also represented the culmination of several years of regulatory work.
WHY DID KENARI NEED EU NOVEL FOOD AUTHORIZATION?
Kenari has a long history of food use in Indonesia.
But that history does not automatically make it an established food in the European Union.
Under EU Regulation 2015/2283, traditional foods from third countries fall within the Novel Food framework. Foods that require authorization must be included in the Union list before they can be placed on the EU market.
For Kenari, the relevant pathway was the traditional food from a third country procedure.
This pathway is designed for foods with a documented history of safe food use outside the European Union.
KAWANASI'S NOTIFICATION
On 26 March 2020, Kawanasi Sehat Dasacatur, PT submitted a notification to the European Commission concerning dried nuts of Canarium indicum L., known as Kenari.
The notification proposed the food for consumption as such or as an ingredient in:
cereal and bakery products;
confectionery;
snacks; and
prepared dishes intended for the general population.
This was important because the opportunity for Kenari in Europe was not limited to selling the nut as a snack.
It also included the possibility of developing Kenari as an ingredient.
DOCUMENTING KENARI'S HISTORY
A central part of the notification was the history of food use.
The information submitted demonstrated a history of safe food use of dried Canarium indicum L. in the Spice Islands region of Indonesia.
This is an important part of Kenari's story.
The European regulatory process was not about creating a history for Kenari.
It was about documenting and evaluating an existing traditional food history within the EU's regulatory framework.
THE EUROPEAN ASSESSMENT
The European Commission forwarded the valid notification to EU Member States and the European Food Safety Authority in June 2022.
No duly reasoned safety objections were submitted within the applicable period.
On 11 November 2022, EFSA published its technical report on the notification.
The Commission's regulation records that EFSA concluded that the available data concerning the composition and history of the requested use of dried Canarium indicum L. did not raise safety concerns.
The assessment also identified potential allergic reactions and noted evidence of cross-reactivity with hazel, cashew and pistachio. This was reflected in the specific labelling requirements attached to the authorization.
THE AUTHORIZATION
On 22 March 2023, the European Commission adopted Regulation (EU) 2023/667.
The regulation states that:
“Canarium indicum L. dried nuts is authorised to be placed on the market within the Union.”
The food was added to the Union List of authorized novel foods as:
Canarium indicum L. dried nuts (Kenari)
Traditional food from a third country
The regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 23 March 2023 and entered into force on 12 April 2023.
WHAT EXACTLY WAS AUTHORIZED?
The authorization concerns processed dried Kenari Nuts.
The EU regulation identifies the edible product as the kernels of ripe Kenari fruit and gives the scientific name:
Canarium indicum L.
It also identifies Canarium amboinense Hochr. as a synonym and places the species within the Burseraceae family.
The regulation also establishes specifications for the authorized food, including composition and microbiological and contaminant criteria.
KENARI AS AN INGREDIENT
The notification's proposed uses are particularly interesting.
Kenari was proposed not only as a food in itself but also as an ingredient in:
cereal and bakery products
confectionery
snacks
and
prepared dishes.
This reflects a broader opportunity.
Kenari can be experienced as a nut, but its distinctive creamy and buttery character also makes it relevant to food developers looking for new ingredients.
SPECIFIC LABELLING REQUIREMENTS
The authorization specifies that the traditional food should be designated on food labels as:
“dried kenari (Canarium indicum) nuts.”
It also requires a statement that the nuts may cause allergic reactions for consumers with known allergies to hazel, cashew and pistachio. The statement must appear close to the ingredients list, or close to the name of the food where there is no ingredients list.
These requirements are part of the conditions attached to the authorization.
A MILESTONE FOR AN INDONESIAN FOREST FOOD
For Kawanasi, the EU authorization represented more than regulatory permission.
It connected a traditional food from Eastern Indonesia with one of the world's largest and most highly regulated food markets.
For years, Kenari had been largely unfamiliar outside its region of origin.
Now there was a formal regulatory pathway for the food to enter the European market.
FROM INTERNATIONAL INTRODUCTION TO EU AUTHORIZATION
The authorization was the result of a longer journey.
2018
Kenari's first international appearance at SIAL Paris.
2019
Organic certification and export development.
2020
Introduction to the international organic market through BIOFACH.
2021–2022
Further international presentations and market development.
2023
EU Novel Food authorization.
The progression was not simply about finding buyers.
It involved building the knowledge, systems, evidence and market foundation required to introduce a previously unfamiliar food to a new region.
A NEW CHAPTER FOR KENARI
The authorization did not mark the end of the journey.
It opened a new one.
With the European regulatory pathway established, Kawanasi could move forward with introducing Kenari to more European consumers and exploring opportunities with food businesses.
The challenge now was different.
It was no longer only:
Can Kenari enter the European market?
It was:
What can Kenari become once it is there?
FROM A TRADITIONAL INDONESIAN FOOD TO THE EUROPEAN MARKET
Kenari was already a traditional food in Eastern Indonesia long before it became a novel food in Europe.
The 2023 authorization brought these two realities together.
A food with a history in the forests and communities of Indonesia had taken another step toward becoming accessible to consumers and food businesses in Europe.
For Kenari, a new international chapter had begun.
DISCOVER THE KENARI BEHIND THE MILESTONE
Learn about Kenari's origins, characteristics, processing, applications and the journey that brought this Indonesian forest nut to the world.