Indonesia approves prebiotic claim for inulin and oligofructose

Published: 20-May-2021

The claim is approved under the milk powder category for the general population, referring to healthy people above three years old, including teenagers, adults, and the elderly

The National Agency of Drug and Food Control of Indonesia has approved a prebiotic claim for the chicory root fibres inulin and oligofructose. The approval follows Beneo's research and communication of the prebiotic effect of inulin and oligofructose to local authorities.

The claim is approved under the milk powder category for the general population, referring to healthy people above three years old, including teenagers, adults, and the elderly. The minimum required dose is 4.5 g/L on a ready-to-drink basis of inulin and oligofructose, in 30:70 ratio.

In Indonesia, two thirds of consumers associate prebiotics with a healthy gut2. More than half of Indonesians are also seeking out food and drink products that can improve digestive health. In fact, the top two health concerns among local consumers are immunity and digestive health,3 both of which are closely linked to the gut environment.

“We are pleased that the chicory root fibres inulin and oligofructose are the first prebiotics to be recognised by the Indonesia National Agency of Drug and Food Control. This ensures that Beneo’s prebiotic chicory root fibre can be claimed appropriately, which makes it easier for consumers to make a conscious choice to support digestive health,” said Caroline Bustandi, Senior Manager Regulatory Affairs at Beneo Asia Pacific.

Prebiotics are non-digestible fibres that impact the gut microbiota by selectively promoting the number of naturally-occurring beneficial bacteria in the intestine. Scientific studies5 have established the efficacy of inulin and oligofructose in promoting the selective growth of beneficial bacteria in the colon, thereby supporting digestive health and overall wellbeing6.

Inulin and oligofructose are obtained from a natural source, chicory root, via a gentle hot water extraction. Additionally, both inulin and oligofructose are internationally recognised and confirmed prebiotics according to the International Scientific Association on Probiotics and Prebiotics7. An EU approved health claim granted for Beneo and inulin, for instance, has asserted its beneficial effect on digestive health and regularity.

References

1), 2) FMCG Gurus Digestive Health Survey (2020)

3) So D, Whelan K, Rossi M et al. (2018) Dietary fiber intervention on gut microbiota composition in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 107(6): 965–983. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29757343

4) Vandeputte D, Falony G, Vieira-Silva S, Wang J, Sailer M, Theis S, Verbeke K, Raes J. Prebiotic inulin-type fructans induce specific changes in the human gut microbiota. Gut. 2017 Nov 1;66(11):1968-74. Available from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5739857/

5) Gibson GR, Hutkins R, Sanders ME et al. (2017) Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 14(8): 491–502. https://www.nature.com/articles/nrgastro.2017.75.pdf

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