Lyc-O-Mato® Gains EU Approval

BEER SHEVA, Israel—LycoRed Ltd. announced the European Commission, cleared Lyc-O-Mato®, natural lycopene complex, for marketing in the EU as a novel food ingredient for lycopene fortification.

After comprehensive scientific review by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the approval was granted at the European Commission’s Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health meeting held on Feb. 20, 2009. Formal publication of the authorization decision in the European Official Journal is expected this week.

Lyc-O-Mato can be used in food supplements (in a dose of 15 mg/d), fruit and vegetable juice drinks, sport drinks, soups, breakfast cereals, bread, fats and dressings, foods intended for energy restricted diets for weight reduction and foods for special medical purposes.

“This approval to market our patented natural tomato lycopene in Europe will help to increase natural lycopene consumption in 2009,” said Udi Alroy, vice president of global marketing and sales, LycoRed. “Thanks to this new approval, Lyc-O-Mato has created a new natural lycopene category for food applications in Europe.”