EFSA Gives OK to ARTINIA

ST. LOUISThe European Food Safety Authoritys (EFSA) panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (DNA) determined ARTINIA, a novel food ingredient marketed by Stratum Nutrition, is considered safe as a food ingredient at proposed conditions of use and intake levels. ARTINIA (listed as KiOnutrime-CG in the EFSA opinion) is a chitin-glucan fiber derived from the mycelium of Aspergillus niger; it contains 80 percent dietary fiber, primarily insoluble. Ingredient supplier KitoZyme established a strategic partnership with Stratum Nutrition in early 2010 to market the novel ingredient.

As reviewed by the panel, ARTINIA can be marketed as a food supplement, in the form of a powder in different formats such as gelatin capsules or tablets, to increase the daily intake of fiber. The intended intake of the ingredient is 2 to 5 g/d. No adverse effects were observed in a 13-week rat study with doses up to 6.6 g/kg body weight. Further, a 12-week animal and 30-day human pilot study reported beneficial findings for arterial and overall heart health, supporting the bodys antioxidant systems and reducing the levels of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

We look forward to assisting our European customers in the development of products that utilize ARTINIA, an ingredient with solid intellectual property, strong scientific and clinical research and great potential in products designed to support arterial and overall heart health," said Michael Faber, business manager in Europe and Asia for Stratum Nutrition. The company expects to see final approval on this novel food ingredient from the European Commission by October of 2010.

ARTINIA is obtained exclusively from renewable, non-genetically modified sources and is manufactured in an ISO 9001:2008 certified facility. It is certified Kosher and Halal, hypoallergenic, and is suitable for vegetarian customers.