Natural ingredients company LAYN has announced that Health Canada's Food Directorate has completed a detailed evaluation and has approved use of monk fruit extract, also known as luo han guo extract, as a sweetener at a maximum level of use of 0.8% in table top sweeteners. The assessment also concluded that the available scientific data supported the safety and efficacy of monk fruit extract when used under the proposed guidelines. As such, monk fruit extract will be added to the List of Permitted Sweeteners in Canada.
"We are pleased that Health Canada has allowed use of monk fruit as a natural sweetener," said Chris Tower, President of LAYN USA, Inc. "It serves to further validate the regulatory work LAYN has carried out over a 10 year period in substantiating the safety and effectiveness of monk fruit extracts, as evidenced in LAYN's pivotal GRAS affirmation."
LAYN's Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) affirmation was accepted in 2011 under the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) GRAS Notice Inventory, GRN No. 359. LAYN's dossier is referenced in Health Canada's Consultation Document.
According to LAYN, monk fruit extracts are becoming increasingly popular as a superior tasting, natural, zero-calorie, high-intensity sweetener. LAYN markets a monk fruit extract line under the Go-Luo brand, derived from the Chinese name of the fruit "Luo Han Guo".
