Cognis achieves novel foods approval for plant sterols in Canada

Canadians can soon purchase foods with Cognis’ Heart Choice phytosterols that help to reduce cholesterol levels.

A recent ruling by Health Canada now allows Cognis’ natural plant sterol and sterol esters to be used in food products.

In June 2009, when Cognis submitted a Novel Food application, phytosterols were only approved for use in dietary supplements.

The Novel Food approval also includes criteria for the use of a health claim for cholesterol lowering.

Phytosterols are found naturally in vegetables, fruits, vegetable oils, legumes, nuts, and grains.

Survey findings show that a dietary gap often exists because concentrated levels of sterols are associated with high-fat foods, so consumers limiting fat intake may omit these foods from their diet.

Since the molecular structure of plant sterols is almost identical to cholesterol, the body accepts plant sterols as though they were cholesterol, blocking the absorption of dietary cholesterol into the bloodstream.

Cognis’ phytosterols are marketed with the ingredient brand name Heart Choice in North America and Vegapure in other regions of the world.

In Canada, the approved daily serving is up to the equivalent of three grams 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.