Unilever Makes Novel Food Application for Phytosterols in Liquid Fats

21 June 2013 --- Unilever has applied to the Food Standards Agency to market phytosterol esters as a novel food ingredient, and views are wanted on the application. Phytosterol esters are used by the food industry for their cholesterol-lowering properties. Free phytosterols are naturally present at low levels in vegetable oils and in food derived from such oils.

This is the third application made by the company, Unilever, for this novel food ingredient in the European Union. Two of these applications, including this one, were made in the UK.

Following an application for margarines with added phytosterol esters, which was approved in 2000, Unilever submitted an application via the UK to extend use to 'milk type' and 'yoghurt type' products. This use was authorised in 2004.

This third application is to extend the use in margarines to include cooking and baking which were not covered in the original authorisation. The applicant is also seeking to extend the use to liquid vegetable fat-based emulsions (liquid margarine products) which are used for cooking and baking.

A novel food is a food or food ingredient that does not have a significant history of consumption within the European Union before 15 May 1997.

Before any new food product can be introduced on the European market, it must be rigorously assessed for safety. In the UK, the assessment of novel foods is carried out by an independent committee of scientists appointed by the Food Standards Agency, the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP).