Cargill earns FDA GRAS for omega-6 form

Agri-food giant Cargill has received a GRAS non-objection letter from the Food and Drug Administration for its arachidonic acid (ARA)-rich oil (ARA).

The GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) approval will help Cargill’s activity with the omega-6 ingredient in the infant formula market, it said, especially with ARA patents opening up globally and “additional regulatory approvals”.

“We are very pleased about this development relating to this key ingredient for our US infant formula customers,” said David Henstrom, vice president of Cargill Health & Nutrition. “Our patent and regulatory efforts, along with the start-up of our new facility in Gedian, China, last year, provides a new, reliable option for our customers.”