AstaREAL gets GRAS nod

Fuji Chemical Industry Co. Ltd., Nakaniikawa-gun, Japan, received a letter of no objection from FDA, accepting Fujis GRAS (generally recognized as safe) notification for its natural astaxanthin, AstaREAL®. Fuji filed the GRAS notification with FDA in July 2009, following the June 2009 GRAS determination by an independent expert scientific panel.

Mitsunori Nishida, president and CEO of Fuji Chemical, said, Achieving GRAS status fulfills one more milestone in Fujis global development program of AstaREAL astaxanthin and opens the door for marketing astaxanthin as a food ingredient in the United States as well as to increase greater global awareness of this magnificent material.

Fuji cultivates its AstaREAL astaxanthin in fully-enclosed, state-of-the-art biosystems in Hawaii and Sweden. It has been marketed globally as a dietary ingredient for supplements; the GRAS affirmation permits its inclusion in a range of foods and beverages in the United States, including baked goods, beverages, cereals, chewing gum, coffee, tea, dairy product analogs, frozen dairy desserts and mixes, hard candy, milk products, processed fruits and fruit juices, processed vegetables and vegetable juices, and soft candy.

Charles DePrince, president of Fuji Health Science Inc., Fuji Chemicals U.S. subsidiary, said, As the world leader in natural astaxanthin production and research, Fuji demonstrates once again its commitment to quality and safety as its first priority. Fujis enclosed systems have allowed much tighter specifications to be established as well as met on a consistent basis. Consequently, our GRAS notification includes specification for purity that is unique to AstaREAL.