Phytrol Lowers Total Cholesterol Up To 19%, Novartis Research Shows
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
FDA's April 24 approval of Novartis Consumer Health's generally recognized as safe (GRAS) notification for "tall oil phytosterols" clears the way for the ingredient's inclusion in functional foods in the U.S. market.
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Novartis
Company files GRAS notification with FDA Jan. 28 for use of tall oil phytosterols as a nutrient "in vegetable oil spreads to reduce the absorption of cholesterol from the gastrointestinal tract at a level up to 12% free phytosterols." The notification relates to Phytrol, an ingredient licensed from Forbes Medi-Tech in Canada. Novartis and Forbes are aiming to bring Phytrol-containing products to market by mid-2000 (1"The Tan Sheet" Nov. 22, 1999, p. 4). FDA attempts to respond to such notifications within a 90-day timeframe