Ajinomoto obtains FDA no objection for capsinoid GRAS
The company claims that it is now working with beverage and food manufacturers in regards to its Dihydrocapsiate product, which it says shares certain functionality with the pepper-based capsaicin without having its pungency. The company says the ingredient is part of the capsinoid family of compounds.
After receiving a letter of no objection from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in regards to Generally recognized as safe(GRAS) status, Ajinomotois now looking for food formulation opportunities with the product.
“We believe dihydrocapsiate has broad potential for use in food products in the US market, and that it represents a promising business expansion opportunity,” stated Brendan Naulty, president of Ajinomoto’s food ingredients division.
Capsinoids have been found in certain research of animals and humans to safely increase metabolism and fat burning by stimulating specific receptors in the body.
The company claims that these potential benefits had been supported further by ongoing testing of the compounds. Some of these findings having been published and presented through theAmerican Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) over the last few years, according to the group.
Ajinomoto first began supplying capsinoid in the US as a dietary supplement back in 2007, though the product was initially distributed through health professionals to maintain ‘credibility’ of health claims attached to it.
Obesity push
Like many western markets, potential satiety solutions launched to cut down on obesity have become bug business on the back of growing health concerns.
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2005-2006 found 32.7 percent of US adults 20 years and older were overweight, 34.3 percent obese and 5.9 percent extremely obese.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2015, there will be more than 1.5 billion overweight consumers, incurring health costs beyond $117 billion per year in the US alone.
Obesity is linked to a number of other diseases including type 2 diabetes, some cancers, hypertension, stroke and osteoarthritis.
A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reported 90 percent of men and 70 percent of women will eventually become overweight.
