The FDA recently published two labelling regulations that will affect almost every product category in the food and supplement sectors. The rule includes a new definition for dietary fibre as either naturally occurring fibres that are intrinsic and intact in plants, or as isolated or synthetic fibres that have demonstrated a beneficial physiological effect.
To date, the FDA has been able to assess certain fibres and grant dietary fibre status to a few fibres, but chicory root inulin is still under review.
Cosucra Groupe Warcoing, a leading chicory root fibre (inulin & oligofructose) manufacturer based in Belgium, submitted a joint Citizen Petition to the FDA on 9 September. Cosucra inulin and oligofructose are distributed in the US and Canada by Cargill under the brand Oliggo-Fiber chicory root fibre (inulin).
The Citizen Petition requests the addition of chicory inulin, encompassing all chicory inulin-type fructans, to be added to the list of dietary fibre accepted in the US. The rationale for this submission is to display the totality of pertinent data that convincingly shows the beneficial physiological effects of chicory root inulin.
Given the wealth of data on chicory root inulin’s beneficial physiological effects, Cosucra and the other inulin producers are confident that the additional information supplied through the citizen’s petition will aid in the review and approval of inulin as a dietary fibre.