AAK, an ingredient supplier specializing in value-adding specialty fats and oils, announced it has received a No Questions Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in response to its GRAS Notification for shea stearin, marking the first expanded use of shea stearin in new food categories since 1998.

“Expanded GRAS approval of shea stearin by the FDA is a major milestone, offering regulatory certainty to our customers and opening doors for the use of this ingredient across several food categories,” says Octavio Díaz de León Carrillo, president of AAK USA, Inc. and vice president, AAK AB. “As a versatile plant-based fat, shea stearin can be utilized in various applications, from bakery items and confectionery fillings to nut and seed spreads, margarine, plant-based foods, and more. We see tremendous opportunity in creating functional food products that consumers will purchase, particularly within the popular segments of plant-based meat and poultry and plant-based dairy alternatives. With the FDA’s approval of shea stearin as a safe source of fat, AAK is helping food manufacturers create the next generation foods.”

The FDA’s GRAS notification signifies transparency, ensures safety for food manufacturers and is essential for all manufacturers to produce in or export to the North American market. With this determination, the FDA validates the safe use of shea stearin as a source of fat in various foods within specified maximum use levels.

"We are thrilled with the newly approved uses of shea stearin,” says Dr. Jeffrey Fine, senior director, customer innovation for AAK in the U.S. and Canada. “This offers a long-awaited alternative source of plant-derived solid fat with a considerably lower saturated fat content than coconut oil, widely used today.” 

Find out more about AAK’s offerings and many of its latest co-development solutions that can help get products to market faster by visiting betterwithaak.com.

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