EU Novel Food Approval for FUGEIA's Brana Vita[TM] Prebiotic Wheat Bran Soluble Fiber

LEUVEN, Belgium, October 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

FUGEIA NV today announced that it has won EU Novel Food approval for its Brana Vita^[TM] product. Brana Vita^[TM] is a food ingredient product rich in arabinoxylan oligosaccharides (AXOS), soluble fibers derived from the cell walls of wheat bran. The AXOS in Brana Vita^[TM] are very potent prebiotics, stimulating the growth of beneficial colon bacteria such as bifidobacteria, and moreover they exert strong antioxidant activity due to the presence of AXOS-bound polyphenols.

"After obtaining GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status and an FDA No objection letter for the US market during 2010, we are delighted to now be able to announce EU Novel Food approval. This approval comes less than eighteen months after introducing our initial request, which speaks to the very strong safety record of our ingredient and the quality of our datapack." says Olivier Lescroart, the Company's Head of Regulatory Affairs.

The Novel Food approval applies to the use of Brana Vita^[TM] in a range of functional food categories such as breakfast cereals, dairy products and drinks, with a 3 g dose per serving allowed in most applications. It thus covers those product categories that are most advanced in product development with food company partners.

The Company has continued to generate additional clinical and safety data which it believes will support extension of EU Novel Food Approval to other applications in the future.

"This all-natural ingredient derived from wheat bran will be a strong contender in the soluble fibre market" says Willem Broekaert, Managing Director and co-founder of Fugeia. "Winning key regulatory approvals has been a significant element in building a strong platform for commercial launch. Food companies are all looking for ingredients of which the consumer trusts and understands the origin. Wheat bran is widely known and trusted as an excellent fibre source with a positive impact on digestive health. Our market research shows that consumers will recognise foods made with fiber from wheat bran as premium products."

About Fugeia (http://www.fugeia.com)

FUGEIA develops proprietary ingredients and processes for innovative value-added foods with health benefits. The Company was founded early 2008 in Leuven (Belgium) as a spin-off from the University of Leuven and KaHo University College. The Company's international investor consortium includes Tate & Lyle Ventures, Agri Investment Fund, Gemma Frisius Fund, KBC and BNP-Paribas-Fortis .                                                                                  

SOURCE Fugeia