In response to a petition and a scientific dossier filed by Switzerland-based CreaNutrition/Swedish Oat Fiber, the U.K. Joint Health Claims Initiative (JHCI) has approved the following new health claim for oats:
“The inclusion of oat bran as part of a diet low in saturated fat and a healthy lifestyle can help reduce blood cholesterol.” Products carrying the claim must contain at least 0.75 grams of beta-glucan soluble oat fiber per serving. CreaNutrition’s Oat­Well oat bran is an innovation in the food market and its functionality has been proven in numerous scientific publications, according to the company. Based on this scientific evidence several health claims have already been approved for OatWell oat bran by the FDA and the Swedish Nutrition Foundation on cholesterol lowering and GI (glycemic index) regulation. OatWell oat bran has application in products like cereals, bars, bakery goods, pasta and snacks.