Netherlands-based edible oils company Loders Croklaan Lipid Nutrition announced this week that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed GRAS status for its omega-3 fatty acid product Marinol C-38.
"This notice is a positive step in the direction toward getting Marinol C-38 and Marinol Powder approved for their intended use in foods by the FDA," said David R. Lewis, business unit manager, North America, for Loders Croklaan Lipid Nutrition.
According to a statement this week, the Department of Health and Human Services of the FDA contacted Lipid Nutrition regarding GRAS Notice No. GRN 000105 to inform the company that, based on the information provided by Lipid Nutrition, as well as other information available to the FDA, the agency had no questions at this time regarding Lipid Nutrition's conclusion that Marinol C-38 is GRAS under the intended conditions of use.
Marinol C-38 can be used in wet sauce and wet soup applications, salad dressings and milk. As a major ingredient in the Marinol Powder, it can also be used in breads, biscuits, and other bakery applications where it can be dry blended with other ingredients.
"We expect the US market to adopt these uses, plus expand into many new areas such as fruit beverages, dairy drinks, margarine and dairy spreads, cereals, breads, and even ice cream," added David Lewis.
Earlier this year, the owner of Loders Croklaan, Anglo-Dutch consumer products group Unilever, announced the sale of the company to Malaysia's IOI Corporation for €217 million in cash. The move is part of Unilever's 'Path to Growth' strategy, a drive to focus on core activities.
Loders Croklaan, which produces speciality and nutritional lipids (oils and fats) for the food and health industry, had sales of €267 million last year.