Nuseed Nutritional US Inc. recently consulted with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a safety and nutritional assessment of its Nuseed Omega-3 Canola ingredient for use in both food markets and animal feed. The FDA reviewed the ingredient, and had no further questions regarding the company’s conclusion that Nutriterra is GRAS (generally recognized as safe) for human food.
 
The ingredient is derived from transgenic canola which contains seven omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, including DHA, EPA, and ALA, and was subject to the FDA’s New Plant Variety consultation, which is a voluntary evaluation of safety. This validation means U.S. food manufacturers can use Nutriterra as a plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids with validation from FDA regarding the safety of its consumption.
 
Fewer than 20% of U.S. consumers are meeting daily recommended intakes of omega-3 fatty acids, according to Nuseed, which stated that leading objections to fish oils are taste, tolerability, and dietary preference.
 
“The FDA’s conclusion reinforces the importance of our plant-based innovation and supports our advancement into functional food. By providing a good source of omega-3 nutrition, Nutriterra can attract new consumers and help more people meet their dietary requirements through everyday food and drinks,” Benita Boettner, Nuseed Nutritional general manager, said.
 
In addition to human food applications, the consultation concluded that meal from Nuseed’s omega-3 canola is equivalent to conventional canola meal for animal feed uses. Nuseed reports that it has completed human and animal feed approvals processes in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, and is progressing with other applications in key global markets. This latest approval follows FDA’s recognition of Nutriterra as a new dietary ingredient, which occurred last year.