DSM: SWISS OK PREVENTASE
[BIZ: Heerlen/Delft, June 17] The production strain is classified as not genetically modified according to Swiss law. Consequently, PreventASe™ can now not only be used for acrylamide - a suspected carcinogen - mitigation in all EU member states and also in Switzerland which is part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). DSM Food Specialties is currently in the process of obtaining approval on a global level. The receipt of a letter of non-objection to the GRAS status of PreventASe™ by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2007 is expected to be followed by further timely approvals by the Australian and Canadian authorities. The latter already gave DSM’s application priority status. With German biscuit manufacturers as the frontrunners PreventASe™ is now increasingly being used by biscuit manufacturers all over the EU and equally in the US and, thus, available for consumers. The large scale application of PreventASe™ in these countries demonstrates its commercial viability. DSM Food Specialties would be happy to assist more companies in implementing its acrylamide mitigation technology which is available for dough-based products such as bread, biscuits, crackers, formed potato products and cereals. PreventASe™ is proven to be able to mitigate the formation of acrylamide in certain foods by as much as 90%. The PreventASe™ enzyme is a so-called “asparaginase enzyme preparation” from the Aspergillus niger micro-organism (A. niger). The enzyme basically converts one of the precursors of acrylamide, asparagine, into another naturally occurring amino acid, aspartate. As a result, asparagine is not available anymore for the chemical reaction that forms acrylamide when carbohydrate-containing foods, such as bread, biscuits, crackers, formed potato products and cereals are being heated. Various authorities require the mitigation of its presence in food. Applying asparaginase in food in order to reduce acrylamide has been identified as one of the solutions by both industry associations and Governmental institutions.
Following authorization by the French and Danish authorities in 2007, DSM Food Specialties has announced the approval of PreventASe™ as a processing aid from the Federal Office of Public Health in Switzerland. After in-depth examination the Swiss authorities concluded that DSM’s asparaginase enzyme preparation would be allowed in the Swiss market.
About PreventASe™
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