EU Commission Verifies Health Claim for Alpha-Cyclodextrin

26 June 2013 --- The European Commission has verified a health claim for alpha-cyclodextrin. The EU assessment report confirms that alpha-cyclodextrin can reduce blood sugar peaks following a high-starch meal.

It thus supports an earlier positive recommendation issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). In the future, food manufacturers may state this blood-sugar-lowering effect on their labeling when using alpha-cyclodextrin as dietary fiber. Alpha-cyclodextrins are annular, purely plant-based molecules which are obtained from renewable raw materials, such as potatoes and corn. They can be added to beverages, dairy products, muesli bars and breakfast cereals, for example, to provide dietary fiber.

Alpha-cyclodextrin is an ideal water-soluble dietary fiber for beverages, dairy products, bakery products, muesli bars and breakfast cereals.

Commission Regulation (EU) No. 536/2013 on the list of permitted health claims made on foods ascribes a scientifically accepted blood-sugar-regulating effect to alpha-cyclodextrin: “Consumption of alpha-cyclodextrin as part of a starch-containing meal contributes to the reduction of the blood sugar rise after that meal.”

Food containing at least five grams of alpha-cyclodextrin per 50 grams of starch in a quantified portion as part of a meal may now carry a label claiming the blood-sugar-lowering effect of the product.

Approval for the health claim had been contingent on a positive assessment of the claimed effect by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which it issued back in mid-2012. Further studies show a positive influence on blood lipids as well.

The blood-sugar-lowering effect of alpha-cyclodextrin means that it lowers the glycemic index (GI) of foods, a fact which is important not only to diabetics: such products are digested more slowly and so keep the blood sugar level at a consistently low level. By following an appropriate diet, consumers can thus reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, overweight and diabetes.

The so-called EU Health Claim Regulation is intended to ensure that the same standards on nutrition and health information on foods apply across all EU member states and that food manufacturers EU-wide only make scientifically substantiated claims. The regulation requires that a positive list of health claims be established. This list will be based on Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on food.

The food industry uses alpha-cyclodextrin as a water-soluble dietary fiber, e.g. for dairy products, bakery products, muesli bars and breakfast cereals. And, as it has a positive effect on blood lipid values, alpha-cyclodextrin is also used as weight management ingredient. The approval of the health claim by the EU now constitutes a solid platform for boosting the use of alpha-cyclodextrin in products intended to keep blood sugar levels consistently low (“low GI products”). This will strengthen WACKER's portfolio for functional foods.

The annular sugar molecules have an extremely low viscosity, and are highly stable – to both heat and low pH. Irrespective of the pH, no undesirable browning or discoloration occurs, even in complex food systems. And because alpha-cyclodextrin dissolves to form a clear solution and has a neutral taste, it can also be used in beverages. Furthermore, alpha-cyclodextrin does not have an E number. A natural degradation product of starch, as found for example in corn and potatoes, alpha-cyclodextrin is produced enzymatically from renewable raw materials by WACKER.

WACKER has been very active in cyclodextrin-related R&D since the early 1980s. Today, WACKER is the global market leader in cyclodextrins and the only company to manufacture all three natural variants. Cyclodextrins are already widely employed in many products and industries because of their ability to trap and subsequently release substances. Applications include taste and odor masking in foods, emulsifying fibers, personal hygiene and pharmaceutical products as well as uses in the textile and process industry.