Cholesterol-lowering food application considered
Wednesday 7 August 2002
The Food Standards Agency is considering a ‘novel food’ application by a food manufacturer to market 'milk and yogurt type' products with an ingredient that lowers cholesterol.
The ingredient has already been cleared for use in Flora Pro-Active spreads and the application comes from the same manufacturer, Unilever.
Under the Agency’s openness policy the novel food application dossier is made available for public comment.
These comments are then considered by the independent expert Advisory Committee for Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) at its next meeting on 12 September 2002.
The ‘milk type’ products under consideration include skimmed, semi-skimmed and vegetable-based milk variants.
The ‘yogurt type’ products include a range of natural and fruit-flavoured yogurts.
Both would include phytosterol-esters. The cholesterol-lowering effect of phytoesterols has been demonstrated and is similar to that seen in ‘Yellow Fat Spreads’ containing this ingredient.
In line with the Agency’s openness policy, all novel food applications are placed on the website for public comment. The first one appeared in June 2000, shortly after the Agency was set up.
About the ACNFP
The ACNFP is a voluntary body whose Chair and members are appointed for their personal expertise, and not to represent particular interests.
The Committee’s main task is to examine food safety aspects of novel foods and foods subjected to novel processes and advise the FSA accordingly.
Companies wishing to sell a novel food in the European Union are required under the European Commission Novel Foods Regulations to submit an application in the member state where they wish to market the food. The food is then assessed for safety.
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