Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9600
ISSN: 2155-9600
Ji Yeon Kwak, Mi Ran Jang, Su Eun Lee, Woo Young Lee, Myung-Sang Yoo, Ji-Eun Shin, Ji Sun Park, Yun-Sook Kang and Jin-Hwan Hong
National Institute of Food & Drug Safety Evaluation, Korea
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Nutr Food Sci
Novel food ingredient means any food ingredient that has no history of consumption in Korea. Foods derived from sources not previously used as human foods must be evaluated for safety. Novel food ingredients scope is the agricultural, livestock, marine products and microorganisms newly introduced in Korea as well as the ingredients acquired from extraction, separation and cultivation of those materials. Since 2010, applicants are required under 'Temporary Standards and Regulations for food Ingredients (MFDS Notification No.2016-27)' to submit information to Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) regarding the product (e.g., the status of approval and use in other countries, manufacturing methods, ingredient characteristics, toxicological test, evaluation of food intake, etc.) In March 2017, the record shows that there have been 20 cases that are approved as novel food ingredients including insects, plants, microorganisms, and sugars. Among the approved novel food ingredients, insects are Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor Linne.) larva, White worm (Protaetia brevitarsis) larva, Dynastid beetle (Allomyrina dichotoma) larva and Two-spotted cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) and all sugars (6 cases) are allulose (liquid, powder) that is commercialized in Japan and the U.S.A. As a substance that exists in nature, allulose is found in small quantities figs and raisins, etc. Allulose has 70% relative sweetness to sucrose. The calorie of allulose is 0.2 kcal which is 5% lower than sucrose (4 kcal). Since 2016, Korea has continuously carried out national sugar intake reduction project and allulose will help reduce sugar intake as a low-calorie alternative sweetener.
Ji Yeon Kwak is an affiliate of National Institute of Food & Drug Safety Evaluation at Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in South Korea.
Email: kjdus@hanmail.net