Cognis wins Novel Foods approval for plant sterols in Canada
The public health association has also included criteria for the use of a health claim for reducing cholesterol.
Found naturally in vegetables, fruits, vegetable oils, legumes, nuts, and grains, phytosterols are marketed by Cognis with the ingredient brand name Heart Choice in North America.
Laura Troha, marketing manager, Cognis Nutrition & Health, told NutraIngredientsUSA.com: “North America is a major focus for functional foods. To be able to sell into the Canadian functional food market opens up a whole new avenue for us.“
Daily serving
In Canada, the approved daily serving is up to the equivalent of 3g of free sterols. Food applications include unstandardized spreads, mayonnaise, margarine, calorie-reduced margarine, salad dressing and unstandardized salad dressings, yogurt and yogurt drinks, and vegetable and fruit juices.
With market leadership in sterol esters and free sterols, the company identifies strong potential in the Canadian market. "We think Canadians are more willing to try functional foods (than their US neighbors). We compare Canada to Australia – both have similar sized populations who like to take control of their own health," said Troha.
In addition, Health Canada warns that 50 percent of adult Canadians have high cholesterol. Cardiovascular disease accounts for the death of more Canadians than any other disease, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. 90 percent of Canadians have at least one risk factor for heart disease or stroke such as smoking, alcohol, physical inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes.
"Now Canadian consumers have a naturally-derived ingredient with novel approval to lower cholesterol. And they can be assured it is safe and is backed by compelling clinical evidence on phytosterols," said Troha.
Heart Choice phytosterols are clinically proven to lower cholesterol up to 15 percent with a health claim approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, said the company.
Also brand marketers in Canada can now make a lower cholesterol health claim if their product meets conditions specified by Health Canada. Its guidance to food manufacturers who wish to make health claims for their foods containing added plant sterols states that the following claims are substantiated when certain criteria are met:
“[serving size from Nutrition Facts table in metric and common household measures] of [naming the product] provides X% of the daily amount of plant sterols shown to help reduce/lower cholesterol in adults.”
Heart disease
Health Canada has also allowed two additional statements that could be used in combination or alone, adjacent to the primary statement: “Plant sterols help reduce [or help lower] cholesterol,” and
“High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease.”
Cognis says it is in the final stages of product development with major food manufacturers and retailers, including grocery chains, in Canada, and expects the first foods with Heart Choice natural plants sterols to be launched within a few months.
Outside North America Cognis’ phytosterols are marketed with the ingredient brand name Vegapure.
