Ajinomoto Co., Inc. gains marketing authorization in Europe for the
new novel food ingredient dihydrocapsiate -- a new milestone in
taste sensation and energy expenditure
TOKYO, Dec. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
(Ajinomoto Co.) today announced that the EU Commission has just
published the Implementing Decision authorizing the placing on the
market of dihydrocapsiate (DHC) as a novel food ingredient under
Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the
Council
(http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:327:0049:0051:EN:PDF).
"The entirely novel characteristics of DHC and the benefit of
increasing energy expenditure safely will enable our customers in
the EU food and beverage industry to innovate completely new and
exciting applications for the consumer," said Shoji Tsubuku,
General Manager of Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
Dihydrocapsiate has held GRAS status from the U.S. FDA as a food
ingredient since March 2009 but the
EU approval is particularly important, as it will drive global
expansion into a much wider range of food products throughout
Europe.
About Dihydrocapsiate
Dihydrocapsiate is found
naturally in chili peppers and is a member of the capsinoid family
of compounds. It is structurally similar to capsaicin, the
substance responsible for the sensation of hotness in chili
peppers, which has long been recognized to increase metabolism and
energy expenditure. Like capsaicin, capsinoids are naturally
occurring substances that activate receptors in the body and can
favorably affect energy expenditure, but they do not taste hot.
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. has conducted an extensive program of animal
and human studies on capsinoids, and dihydrocapsiate received a
positive opinion on safety from the European Food Safety Authority
in July this year.
About Novel Food
Novel foods or novel food ingredients
have no history of significant consumption in the European Union
prior to May 15, 1997. Any food or
food ingredient that falls within this definition must be
authorized according to the Novel Food legislation, Regulation (EC)
No 258/97.
About GRAS
GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) is a
process established by the FDA in 1958. In this system, substances
used in food products undergo objective evaluations by academic
experts to determine whether they can be considered generally safe
under their intended conditions of use. In the United States, new materials intended for
use in food products (excluding the dietary ingredients for dietary
supplements) must either be approved as food additives or be
determined to be GRAS.
About Ajinomoto Co.
Ajinomoto Co. is a global
manufacturer of high-quality seasonings, processed foods,
beverages, amino acids, pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals.
For many decades Ajinomoto Co. has contributed to food culture and
human health through wide-ranging application of amino acid
technologies. Today, the company is becoming increasingly involved
with solutions for improved food resources, human health and global
sustainability. Founded in 1909 and now operating in 26 countries,
Ajinomoto Co. had net sales of JPY 1,197.3
billion (USD 15.1 billion) in
fiscal 2011. For more about Ajinomoto Co., (TYO: 2802), visit
www.ajinomoto.com.
For further information, please contact:
Ajinomoto
Co., Inc. Public Communications Department;
pr_info@ajinomoto.com
SOURCE Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
