First GRAS-Affirmed Rice Protein

Axiom Foods’ (Los Angeles) Oryzatein brown rice protein has become the first of its kind to earn Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status, the company reports. Oryzatein is now considered GRAS when used to replace soy and whey protein, or when used in conjunction with soy and whey protein.

A 2013 clinical trial showed comparable blood levels of total amino acids from plant-based Oryzatein protein supplementation compared to animal-based whey protein supplementation, although the whey protein did achieve higher levels of the specific amino acids cysteine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, and threonine. The study showed that rice protein is an intermediate-digesting protein, while whey protein is a fast-digesting protein.

Axiom Foods’ CEO calls Oryzatein “the only brown rice protein with third-party clinical research.” Oryzatein is also the ingredient currently being used to create a USP monograph standard for rice protein.

Photo © iStockphoto.com/Alasdair Thomson