31 August 2005 - The Agency's expert advisers on novel foods and processes have received an application to approve phosphated distarch phosphate as a novel food ingredient.
Phosphated distarch phosphate is a modified resistant starch. It is derived from high amylose maize starch and contains a minimum of 70% dietary fibre. 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.
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).
National Starch Food Innovation proposes to market its phosphated distarch phosphate as a source of dietary fibre for use as a novel food ingredient in a range of low moisture food products including biscuits, cakes, muffins, crackers, pasta, pizza dough, bread, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, tortillas, bread products made with white flour and pretzels, at levels of up to 35%.
Any comments on this application should be sent to the ACNFP Secretariat by 19 September 2005 and will be passed to the Committee for consideration during its assessment of this novel food ingredient.