FSA News Item, 9 July 2008
The Agency is holding a second consultation on an application to approve phosphated distarch phosphate as a novel food ingredient. This follows an amendment to the original draft advisory committee opinion so that it considers the consumption of the ingredient by people with renal disease.
National Starch Food Innovation is the company making the application. It hopes to market its phosphated di-starch phosphate as a source of dietary fibre in low-moisture food products like biscuits, cakes, crackers, tortillas and pasta.
Drafted by the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP), the initial opinion was subject to its first consultation at the end of 2007. It was amended in response to a comment made by a member of the public.
Before any new food product can be introduced on the European market, it must be rigorously assessed for safety. The ACNFP is an independent committee of scientists appointed by the Food Standards Agency to assess novel foods in the UK.
Consultation details
All comments should be submitted by 19 July 2008.
The science behind the story
Phosphated distarch phosphate is a modified resistant starch. It is derived from high amylose maize starch and contains a minimum of 70% dietary fibre. It is currently used as a food additive (E1413) as a freeze-thaw-stable thickener in products such as soups, sauces, frozen gravies and pie fillings.