Health Canada Authorizes Eight New Claims for Natural Beauty and Sports Nutrition Extracts

08 Jun 2016 --- Health Canada has issued approvals to Monteloeder for the use of eight health claims relating to two of its botanical ingredients.

Founded in 1996, Monteloeder is a developer, manufacturer and distributor of natural ingredients and formulations for the nutrition and cosmetics industry. Based in the sun-soaked region of Alicante, Spain, Monteloeder operates in more than 38 countries worldwide.

The authority has passed down a positive decision for three claims in relation to Monteloeder’s suncare-from-within ingredient NutroxSun, as well as five more linked to PLX, its sports nutrition bioactive.

Dr Nuria Caturla, R&D Manager at Monteloeder told NutritionInsight: "It is hugely satisfying for us that an official organization such as Health Canada recognizes the scientific rigor of the products we develop and validates the effectiveness of our ingredients.”

“We know how hard it is to get approval on these claims as only those ingredients with very solid evidence and scientific proof can pass the strict requirements of Health Canada.”

“The fact that two of our ingredients have had several health claims approved motivates us to keep developing innovative and effective ingredients to maintain and improve the health of consumers."

The wave of positive verdicts means dietary supplements containing these two natural specialty ingredients can now carry the claims in question on their labels when marketed in Canada.

The three claims approved by Health Canada for NutroxSun are as follows:

Helps to improve the skin’s response to small amounts of UV-induced oxidative stress
Helps reduce wrinkle depth and increase skin elasticity
Provides antioxidants

The five claims authorized for PLX are:

Helps with the management of joint discomfort due to sport injury
Improves lipid profile (HDL)
When taken by healthy persons in combination with regular exercise, helps decrease muscular (myoglobin) and hepatic (gamma-glutamyl transferase) damage markers
Helps to increase the activity of antioxidant enzyme catalase (lymphocytes and erythrocytes) when combined with regular exercise
Consumption helps increase the activity of glutathione-dependent antioxidant enzymes in erythrocytes when combined with regular exercise

Fernando Cartegena, Head of Global Marketing at Monteloeder, said: “Canadians are famous for their love of the outdoors, and we’re confident they will find the proven benefits of NutroxSun and PLX to be very appealing. We’re delighted that Health Canada has reviewed the science for these ingredients and found it to be strong. The eight approvals they have granted us will open up a world of opportunities for our customers in this important market.”

NutroxSun is a blend of natural grapefruit and rosemary extracts. Results from a recent clinical study, which will be published in the peer-reviewed journal Food & Nutrition Research in the coming weeks, demonstrated that it offers significant sun protection and anti-ageing benefits in the form of better resistance to sunburn, increased skin elasticity, reduced skin wrinkle depth and decreased oxidation of skin cells.

PLX is a proprietary extract from the leaves of the lemon verbena plant. In a recent peer-reviewed and published clinical trial conducted by E. Roche et al, the researchers found that lemon verbena extracts offered athletes significant performance benefits by tackling both the mental and physical factors that prevent recovery after exercise.

Both ingredients are suitable for inclusion in dietary supplements and in convenient functional beverages and shots. They are currently distributed in Canada by CK Ingredients, which is based in Toronto.

This is just the start for Monteloeder, as the company has more approval plans for the future.

Dr Nuria Caturla concluded: "It is our aim that one day these claims will also get approval from EFSA in Europe. The approval from Health Canada means that we are heading in the right direction."

References:
‘Skin photoprotective and antiageing effects of a combination of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and grapefruit (Citrus paradisii) polyphenols’, accepted for publication (pending) by Food & Nutrition Research.

‘Biochemical and psychological changes in university students performing aerobic exercise and consuming lemon verbena extracts’, E. Roche et al, Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research Vol. 13, No. 2, 2015).

by Kerina Tull