CoroWise™ Plant Sterol Esters

Introduction

Plant sterol esters, also known as plant sterol (or steryl) esters, are composed of vegetable oil fatty acids and plant lipids (plant sterols) that are naturally present in vegetables, fruits, and grains. Cargill's CoroWise™ plant sterol esters have been developed to ease the formulation of this ingredient into vegetable oil-based and other food products¹.

Eating food products enriched with plant sterol esters helps promote healthy blood cholesterol levels. Lipase enzymes, present in the human digestive tract, cleave plant sterol esters to liberate plant sterols in the gastrointestinal tract, which then block gastrointestinal absorption of dietary and biliary cholesterol into the bloodstream, thus lowering serum cholesterol.

FDA Health Claim

Daily consumption of at least a total of 1.3 grams of plant sterol esters in two meals may reduce the risk of heart disease when part of a diet low in fat and cholesterol. Based on a regulatory enforcement discretion letter to Cargill dated February 14, 2003, the FDA may expand the use of the plant sterol heart-health claim to a broader range of foods and beverages.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Recommendation

The National Cholesterol Education Program of the National Institutes of Health recommends adding plant sterols to the diet to enhance blood cholesterol reduction².

The advice was included in new guidelines issued in 2001 to help consumers reduce coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. The U.S. Food and Drug administration approved a health claim for plant sterol esters and reduced CHD risk in September of 2000. Consuming 1-2 grams of plant sterols per day typically lowers LDL cholesterol levels 5-15% within 2 to 4 weeks with no reports of significant side effects. The safety of plant sterols has been reviewed and approved for food use by government authorities in the U.S., the European Union, Australia and Japan.

Properties

Physical characteristics of CoroWise™ plant sterol esters include:

Odorless
0.932 specific gravity
Creamy white translucent wax
14°C to 28°C melt point range

Typical Analysis

Plant Sterol content (total) >= 88%*

Sitosterol 40-58%

Campesterol 20-28%

Stigmasterol 14-23%

* This product is approximately 60% by weight plant sterols and 40% by weight canola oil fatty acids; composition refers to the plant sterol portion of the plant sterol ester.

Global Regulatory Status

Regulatory authorities in various countries have authorized the use of plant sterol esters in various foods.

They include:

The US FDA has found no objection to Cargill's GRAS determination for the use of plant sterol esters in vegetable oil spreads, salad dressings, bars and yogurt. Cargill has also completed a self-GRAS determination of a broader range of heart-healthy food applications for free and esterified sterols.
The Food Standards Ministerial Council of Australia and New Zealand granted permission for the use of plant sterol esters in edible oil table spreads. They found that there are no public health and safety concerns associated with the use of plant sterol esters in table spreads at a maximum concentration of 13.7%.
In Europe, the Scientific Committee on Food concluded that the use of plant sterol esters in yellow fat spreads at a maximum use level corresponding to 8% free plant sterols is safe for human use.
The EU Standing Committee on Foodstuffs adopted a Draft Commission Decision authorizing the marketing by a specific manufacturer of "yellow fat spreads with added plant sterol esters" as a novel food ingredient under regulation (EC) No 258/97.

Packaging & Storage

55-gallon epoxy-lined steel drums
10-gallon HDPE pails
Refrigeration recommended at 4°C (40°F) or lower

References

¹ See also "Food Labeling: Health Claims; Plant Plant Sterol/Stanol Esters and Coronary Heart Disease, Interim Final Rule", 2000, Federal Register, Vol. 65, No. 175, pp. 54685-54739

² National Cholesterol Education Program, 2001a. Executive Summary of the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). 2001. Journal of the American Medical Association 285:2486-97

Contact Information

For purchase information or technical assistance, please contact Cargill Health & Food Technologies at 866-456-8872 or email us at chn_customerservice@cargill.com.

CoroWise™ Web Site

Additional information on CoroWise™ plant sterols can be found at www.corowise.com.