Larch Arabinogalactan Approved as Therapeutic Goods in Australia.

FiberAid is a premium soluble prebiotic fiber that offers superior benefits for gastrointestinal health combined with excellent digestive tolerance and technological properties.

21/07/08 Larch arabinogalactan from Larix laricina and Larix occidentalis has been approved by the Australian Authorities and is now listed as Therapeutic Goods.

The Australian Authorities announced on July 8th that Larch arabinogalactan is now approved as a therapeutically active ingredient for oral use. Three requirements have to be met for approval all of which are fulfilled by Lonza’s active ingredient: the ingredient arabinogalactan (Larix) is derived from Larix larcinia or Larix occidentalis; the concentration of polysaccharides in the ingredient arabinogalactan (Larix) is greater than or equal to 85%; and the maximum recommended daily dose of the ingredient arabinogalactan (Larix) is not to exceed 15 grams. This announcement can be found at http://www.tga.gov.au/new/new.htm.

In Australia, Larch arabinogalactan had been approved before as a food additive only. “This new approval is good news, as Larch arabinogalactan, which we sell as an ingredient for use in products positioned for digestive health benefits under the brand name, FiberAid, was not approved for such applications in Australia”, comments René Blum, Global Head of Regulatory Affairs for the Nutritional Ingredients at Lonza. FiberAid is self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) with FDA notification. In the European Union, Arabinogalactan is listed in the Novel Food catalogue published on June 17th, 2008 for use as a food supplement.

FiberAid is a premium soluble prebiotic fiber that offers superior benefits for gastrointestinal health combined with excellent digestive tolerance and technological properties. It is highly soluble in hot or cold water, stable against a wide pH and temperature range and forms low viscosity solutions. Composed of larch arabinogalactan, FiberAid has been approved by the US FDA and other authorities. It is extracted by Lonza via a patented process (US 5756098, EP 866808 and other patents) from larch trees that grow in abundance in the United States.