EU grants health claim to cholesterol-lowering Benecol products
Raisio European Journal of Clinical Nutrition – science magazine has chosen plant stanol ester as one of the ten most important nutritional innovations in the world.Plant stanol ester, the cholesterol-lowering ingredient in Raisio's Benecol products, is among the first ingredients to be granted a regulatory approval for the use of a disease risk reduction health claim under the Nutrition and Health Claim Regulation of the European Union. This is the first disease risk reduction health claim granted for food products within the EU.
The following health claim is permitted in the marketing of Benecol-foods containing plant stanol ester: "Plant stanol ester has been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease."
According to the Nutrition and Health Claim Regulation only officially approved health claims can be used in the marketing of foods.
- The European Commission approval of the health claim for plant stanol ester strengthens the pioneering role of Benecol products as cholesterol-lowering foods. We are very pleased with the approval, says Ingmar Wester, the developer of plant stanol ester and the Director of R&D at Raisio's Ingredients Division.
- The granting of the health claim for plant stanol ester continues strengthening the role of Raisio as the forerunner in cholesterol-lowering functional foods, continues Wester.
Benecol is a global trademark owned by Raisio, and plant stanol ester an ingredient patented worldwide by Raisio. Benecol products are currently sold in thirty countries on five continents.
Comments (6)