India Approves Oligofructose for More Categories

The Indian Ministry of Health has approved prebiotic fiber oligofructose for a number of additional food categories in the country, including sweets, dairy, frozen desserts, ice cream, cereal, chocolate, and meat applications. Originally, the ingredient was approved in India for bakery products.

The announcement was made by Beneo-Institute, part of ingredients supplier Beneo, which submitted the application for expanded use.

“India is a growing market for functional ingredients, so we are very pleased with this positive verdict,” stated Anke Sentko, Beneo’s vice president of regulatory affairs and nutrition communication.

The company says that oligofructose, derived from chicory root, is a soluble prebiotic dietary fiber that supports balanced gut microflora and digestive health. It can also partially replace sugar in certain formulations, making it possible to achieve an “added fiber” claim as well as a “low sugar” or “no sugar” claim.