Heart Choice® OK for Canadian Foods

LA GRANGE, Ill.Cognis received notification from Health Canada that the agency has no objection to the use of the companys natural plant sterol and sterol esters, Heart Choice®, to be used in food products. The Novel Food approval includes criteria for the use of a health claim for cholesterol lowering as well.

In Canada, the approved daily serving is up to the equivalent of 3 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.

Major food manufacturers and retailers in Canada are in the final stages of product development with Cognis and the countrys first foods with Heart Choice® natural plants sterols are expected to be launched within a few months.

Heart Choice® phytosterols are clinically proven to lower cholesterol up to 15 percent with a health claim approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Health Canada also released health claim guidance to food manufacturers who wish to make health claims for their foods containing added plant sterols. Two additional statements that could be used in combination or alone, adjacent to the primary statement include Plant sterols help reduce [or help lower] cholesterol; and High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease.