Roquette Welcomes Positive EFSA Opinion on Nutriose Fiber

24 Oct 2014 --- For the second time in two years Roquette has received a favourable opinion from EFSA on a 13.5 health claim application. That opinion refers to a reduction in the postprandial glycaemic response of Roquette’s NUTRIOSE fibre (a resistant dextrin recognised to be a non-digestible carbohydrate). Remarkably, this second consecutive success is based on 6 clinical studies.

For Roquette this is satisfying recognition – notably from EFSA – of the quality and scientific rigour of its nutritional studies and amounts to a telling affirmation for one of its strategic development areas: nutrition-health.

In February 2014, Roquette filed a 13.5 health claim application with EFSA. The health claim concerned the benefits of the non-digestible fibre NUTRIOSE06 in respect of reducing the postprandial glycaemic response. In its opinion delivered on 18 September 2014, the EFSA panel recognises that “the consumption of foods and beverages containing non-digestible carbohydrates (including the resistant dextrin NUTRIOSE 06) induces a lower rise in the postprandial blood glucose level compared with foods/beverages containing glycaemic carbohydrates.”

“Our application was backed up by the results of 6 clinical studies done in Europe, Canada, India and China. NUTRIOSE is not just simply a resistant dextrin, it is a unique fibre. Its properties are linked to a specific manufacturing process. The panel of experts from EFSA has included NUTRIOSE in the family of non-digestible carbohydrates and recognizes the link between the latter and the reduction in the postprandial glycaemic response. This second success encourages us to go ahead with other projects, as always with the aim of helping our customers with their nutrition and health priorities.” stated Sophie CHESNOY, NUTRIOSE Development Manager

The nutrition and regulatory experts in the Roquette group have, for several years now, been listening to the international authorities. “Our nutrition and regulatory teams work in close collaboration in order to draw up and implement clinical research protocols in line with the requirements of those authorities. The nutritional and health benefits of our ingredients are proven in various regions of the world” commented Laetitia GUERIN-DEREMAUX, in charge of the Roquette Nutritional Sciences clinical studies.

“The current claim is of special interest because the reduction of the sugar content in foods is, and will remain, a major objective for a good number of public health bodies, not only in Europe, but also in other parts of the world. The regulatory context is evolving in this direction; some regions of the globe are setting out to be pioneers in the fight against obesity. For example, in certain Latin American countries, the regulations require warning icons for products whose sugar, fat or sodium contents, etc, is too high, helping to make the consumer more aware of the problem”, added Elisabeth Goidin, the Regulatory Affairs Manager for the food sector.

In October 2013, Roquette also received a favourable opinion from EFSA in the context of a 13.5 health claim application. This related to NUTRIOSE, a non-fermentable oral cavity carbohydrate maintaining tooth mineralisation.