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
