The development means that food and drink manufaturers will be able to claim on-pack that: “This product contains Bifidobacterium lactis (HN019). Bifidobacterium lactis (HN019) is reported to improve defecation for those suffering from constipation by adjusting intestinal environment.”
Until now, only drinkable yogurts, yogurts, and dietary supplements containing HN019 as a functional ingredient have been recognised for claims stating to improve microflora and aid constipation.
Hiroko Tanaka, regulatory affairs manager at DuPont Nutrition & Health in Japan, said: “This is an important milestone for us. This recording of function claim on food labels will provide new opportunities for food, beverage and dietary supplement manufacturers to further promote this benefit to end consumers.”
Foshu system
The Foods with Function Claims was first introduced in Japan in April 2015 as an additional regulation alongside the country’s more stringent Food For Specified Health Uses (Foshu) system.
But while the latter restricts claims to 14 health benefits and requires clinical trials, the new system permits systematic literary reviews as suitable evidence and allows a wider range of health benefits to be claimed.
Food manufacturers can make function claims on food labels when they submit evidence to the Secretary-General of the Consumer Affairs Agency before marketing the product.
Yuta Nakazawa, DS sales manager, said: “This is a win-win situation for both our customers and their consumers, especially for small to medium sized companies who do not have their own strains. They can now file for application with the Secretary-General of the Consumer Affairs Agency to include HN019 in their food products which allows them to make function claims on their food labels. This will definitely provide a competitive edge to companies to be better differentiated in the marketplace.”
The Probiota series is growing, and in October 2017, Singapore will host the first ever Probiota Asia event. Building on the success of the annual global Probiota and Probiota Americas events, Probiota Asia will focus exclusively on this high growth market and the challenges it faces.
Save the date: 11-13 October 2017