WIREDGOV

A company from the United States has applied to the Food Standards Agency for approval to market phosphated distarch phosphate as a novel food ingredient. The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP), an independent committee of scientists appointed by the FSA, has now considered this application and has prepared a draft initial opinion.

Phosphated distarch phosphate is a modified resistant starch. In the European Union, it is currently used as a food additive (E1413) to stabilise the consistency of products such as soups, sauces, gravies and pie fillings, when they are frozen and thawed.

The company, MGP Ingredients, proposes to market its phosphated distarch phosphate as an added source of dietary fibre for use in a range of foods, including white bread, processed breakfast cereals, pasta, cakes, biscuits and crackers and starch-based snack foods.

About novel food

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 assessed rigorously for safety. In the UK, the assessment of novel food is carried out by the ACNFP.

Deadline for comments

Any comments on the draft opinion should be emailed to the ACNFP secretariat at acnfp@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk by Monday 25 July 2011. The comments will be considered by the committee before it finalises its opinion on this novel food ingredient.