Kraft wins sterol approval down under

By Guy Montague-Jones, 23-Sep-2009

Kraft Foods has become the first company to win approval to use plant sterols in reduced fat cheese in New Zealand and Australia.

Marketed on their cholesterol-lowering properties, plant sterol ingredients are a popular option for drinks and spread makers. The level of current interest is illustrated by the announcement from Cognis in their half year results last month that plant sterols held up the overall performance of its food ingredients business.

In Europe plant sterols are legally available for use in a wide variety of foods including reduced fat cheese but in New Zealand and Australia they have not previously been allowed in the food product.

Kraft is now bringing sterols to low fat cheese in the region after having gained permission to from the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to use polytosterol esters derived from tall oil phytosterol esters as a novel food ingredient in reduced fat cheese.

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