October 23/ADP News Nordic -- Finnish food company Raisio Oyj said that the European Commission (EC) approved the cholesterol-lowering ingredient in the company's Benecol products -- plant stanol ester -- for the use of a disease risk reduction health claim under the Nutrition and Health Claim Regulation.
Raisio is now permitted to use the claim in the marketing of Benecol foods containing stanol ester, stating that plant stanol ester has been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol and that high cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease.