The ingredient is said to be compatible with both organic and non-GMO certified foods, and suitable for a wide range of applications, including dairy beverages, cookies, yogurts, smoothies and others will include heart healthy sterols in their offerings.
Phytosterols and stanols are the cholesterol-reduction market’s established leaders, with clinical data indicating that daily consumption of 1.5 to 3 grams of phytosterols/-stanols from foods can reduce total cholesterol levels by 8-17%.
The European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) recently published a ‘Consensus Statement’ stating: "Two grams of plant sterols or plant stanols per day in functional foods can help manage cholesterol for those with moderate heart disease risk and who are taking statin drugs."
Manuel Canales, President and CEO, Arboris, LLC, said: “Well understood and accepted in other parts of the world, the US is beginning to recognize the health benefits of plant sterol esters as a functional ingredient for heart healthy foods.
“We are seeing an increased interest among food manufactures looking to increase the heart-healthy cholesterol-lowering properties of their products. Protanica is a supported product offered to food manufacturers and retailers to help the formulation and launch of such products.”
High cholesterol levels, hypercholesterolemia, have a long association with many diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease (CVD), the cause of almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe and the US.
A report from the American Heart Association predicted a tripling of direct medical costs of cardiovascular disease from $272.5 billion to $818.1 billion between 2010 and 2030 (Circulation, March 2011, Vol. 123, pp. 933-944).