Regulatory Aspects Related to Plant Sterol and Stanol Supplemented Foods

Abstract

Abstract This chapter reviews regulatory frameworks for plant sterol containing functional foods in various jurisdictions including Europe, North America, South America, Asia and, Australia/New Zealand. Included is a discussion on approval of plant sterols as novel food ingredients in some countries, as well as details on the type of health claims permitted in the marketing and sale of foods enriched with plant sterols within each jurisdiction. Based on the abundance of clinical trial data, many countries around the world have now approved the use of claims relating the cholesterol-lowering effect of plant sterols, further attesting to their value as functional food ingredients.