Views wanted on D-beta-hydroxybutyrate ester

A UK company has applied to the Food Standards Agency to market D-beta-hydroxybutyrate ester as a novel food ingredient. Views are wanted on the company’s application. The deadline for sending comments is Sunday 20 October 2013.

About the application

D-β-Hydroxybutyrate is a ‘ketone body’. This is a molecule produced by the human body when a limited amount of glucose is available, such as during intense and prolonged physical exertion.

The company, TDeltaS, suggests that consumption of D-β-hydroxybutyrate ester during periods of intense exercise will maintain physical and cognitive performance and is proposing its use in food supplements that will be used exclusively by high performance athletes.

About novel foods and approval

A novel food is a food or food ingredient that does not have a significant history of consumption within the European Union before 15 May 1997.

Before any new food product can be introduced on the European market, it must be rigorously assessed for safety. In the UK, the assessment of novel foods is carried out by an independent committee of scientists appointed by the Food Standards Agency, the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP).

Any claims that may be made for D-β-hydroxybutyrate ester will require approval under European Union nutrition and health claims legislation.

Deadline for comments

The Agency is inviting comments on the application. Any comments should be emailed to the ACNFP Secretariat at [email protected] by Sunday 20 October 2013.

The comments received will be passed to the committee during its assessment of this novel food ingredient. Please note that appendices are available on request.