MGP Ingredients has announced that Health Canada has approved the classification of the company's Fibersym RW and FiberRite RW resistant wheat starches as dietary fiber sources in unstandardized foods.
In a letter to MGP Ingredients, Health Canada noted that after assessing the evidence submitted, it was identified that the company's products are non-digestible carbohydrates which produce energy-yielding metabolites through colonic fermentation.
MGP president and chief executive officer Tim Newkirk said that this development paves the way for Canadian food manufacturers and consumers alike to benefit from the nutritional, as well as functional, advantages that our Fibersym RW and FiberRite RW resistant starches provide.
The company noted that Fibersym RW provides a minimum 85% total dietary fiber and lowers caloric content, while FiberRite RW performs as a partial fat replacer and also lowers caloric content in addition to increasing fiber levels.
According to Health Canada, the common name to be used for Fibersym RW and FiberRite RW on food labels is Modified Wheat Starch. These ingredients are produced using technology developed and patented by Kansas State University.
MGP holds exclusive rights to use the technology under a licensing arrangement with the Kansas State University Research Foundation.
MGP, based in Kansas, US, processes grain-based starches and proteins into nutritional and functional ingredients for the branded consumer packaged goods industry.
