The UK Food Standard Agency has awarded marketing authorization to Japanese food producer Ajinomoto Company for dihydrocapsiate (DHC) as a novel food ingredient to be used in powdered drinks and dietary supplements.
With the authorization, the ingredient will formally enter the European Commission list. The permission means that the DHC can now be used as an ingredient in several foods and beverages in the 28 member countries of the European Union.
The sanction comes in addition to the DHC being authorized to be used as a food and beverage ingredient in November 2012.
According to a regulation introduced in 1997, authorization is required to market novel food ingredients within the EU. Novel food ingredients are defined as those which have been rarely consumed in Europe before May 1997.
The authorization for DHC has been obtained after the European Commission undertook detailed evaluation and screening of the ingredient for any harmful effects on human health based on the scientific research provided by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Research on DHC has shown that the ingredient has a potential to control obesity by enhancing energy expenditure. Ajinomoto has used its original enzyme technology to achieve stable production and supply of DHC.
In the US, DHC has held New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) status since 2007 and Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status since 2009. In July 2015, it was sanctioned as a novel food ingredient in Mexico.
These authorizations help expand the ingredient's global supply for its use as an active ingredient in various food products and dietary supplements.
DHC is naturally found in chilli peppers and belongs to the family of capsinoids compound. Structurally similar to capsaicin, the substance is responsible for the hotness in chilli peppers, but they do not taste hot.
Recently, Ajinomoto invested in a new production line for frozen rice products in the US, where frozen foods market is pegged at $40bn. With the expansion, the company intends to bolster the supply of frozen rice products across North America from two production facilities.
Image: DHC is found in chilli peppers. Photo: courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
