Unilever Asks Eu’s FSA To Approve Further Uses For Its Cholesterol-Lowering Plant Sterol

Unilever has applied to the EU’s Food Safety Authority for permission to use a proprietary phytosterol – a plant sterol – as a cholesterol lowering ingredient in cooking, baking and liquid margarines. The FSA approved earlier Unilever applications to use the ingredient in its Flora pro.activ margarines and milk-type and yogurt-type foods. The company says that eating 1.5 to 2.5 g of plant sterols a day can lower blood cholesterol by seven to ten percent in two weeks. The new application may signal Unilever’s intention to broaden its Flora Cuisine cooking liquid product line under the pro.activ brand. Flora Cuisine is made from linseed, rapeseed and sunflower oils.