In January 1997, the Regulation (EC) N° 258/97 concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients was passed by the European Parliament. This regulation applies among others to food and food ingredients containing or consisting of genetically modified organisms and food or food ingredients producted from but not containing such organisms. In order to protect public health, it is necessary to ensure that novel foods and novel food ingredients are subject to a safety assessment before they are placed on the market within the community. Article 8 of the Regulation specifies that additional specific labelling requirements shall apply to foodstuffs that are no longer equivalent to existing foods or food ingredients. The evaluation must be based on scientific assessment, demonstrating that the characteristics assessed are different in comparison to conventional food or food ingredients. The labelling must indicate the characteristics or properties modified, together with the method by which that characteristic or property was obtained. In consideration of consumers' concerns about genetic engineering in general and genetically modified products in particular, we have gone through cigarette constituents in order to identify potential sources of genetically modified materials or these possibly derived from gene technology processes. At present, merely genetically modified tobacco may be detected by valid analytical methods, and would be subject to labelling in the meaning of the EC Novel Food Regulation.