UC-II Affirmed GRAS

BENICIA, Calif.InterHealth Nutraceuticals announced its UC-II® ingredient was affirmed GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by a scientific panel assembled by the Burdock Group. The safety information on UC-II® was persuasive, stated Dr. George Burdock, president of the Burdock Group. This information, along with other data reviewed, provided the substantiation needed to confidently make the GRAS determination.

The ingredient, a natural collagen concentrate containing undenatured type II collagen for joint health, can now be incorporated at the efficacious level of 40 mg/d into a variety of food and beverage products, including ready-to-drink beverages, dairy products, cereals and snacks. Paul Dijkstra, CEO, InterHealth, commented: Spurred by functional food and beverage category growth, InterHealth started developing a food and beverage friendly form of UC-II. In early 2009, a fine powder form of UC-II was developed for use in food and beverages that would have no or insignificant impact on the sensory or organoleptics of a finished product. Further, short-term and post-processing tests demonstrate UC-IIs stability during various pasteurization and aseptic processing conditions.

Dijkstra added, UC-II has been included in a number of finished joint-health supplement products, including many in the United States, Europe and Asia. The door is now open for United States and international food and beverage companies to begin formulating with UC-II and bring safe and effective joint health products to market.