MOMENCE, IL – An independent expert panel has declared that VDF FutureCeuticals' patented CoffeeBerry® products, including CoffeeBerry® Whole Fruit Powder, CoffeeBerry® Juice Concentrate Powder, and CoffeeBerry® Forte Soluble Concentrate, are deserving of GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status for use in food products.
CoffeeBerry® is a registered trademark suggestive of a line of proprietary, patented antioxidant-rich products derived from the whole fruit of the coffee plant, Coffea Arabica.
Per FDA regulations, GRAS status may be granted only after careful review to a substance generally recognized among qualified experts to be safe under the conditions of its intended use.
After a comprehensive evaluation of CoffeeBerry®, its toxicology profile, and published research, the independent panel of scientists concluded that CoffeeBerry® products are safe for use as antioxidant ingredients in food and beverages, including coffee and tea, fruit and vegetable juices, water, energy and sports drinks, soups, candies and confections, and pastries.
John M. Hunter, General Manager of FutureCeuticals, Inc., commented, "As the only product that safely preserves the robust nutritional profile of the whole coffee fruit, CoffeeBerry® has unparalleled antioxidant properties. A single gram of the CoffeeBerry® Whole Powder provides the approximate antioxidant potential equivalent to 33 grams of blueberries. Just 1 gram of our 85% phenolic acids CoffeeBerry® concentrate yields 15,000 ORAC units per gram, or 1,500,000 ORAC units per 100 grams. The GRAS certification adds to these products' considerable appeal and exemplifies FutureCeuticals' ongoing commitment to creating, substantiating, and delivering the best nutritional products and ingredients available anywhere."
"We have invested considerable resources to ongoing research and clinical testing of our CoffeeBerry® technology and its many possible applications. The results continue to support the product line's health benefits." Hunter stated that most recent testing indicates that a single serving of CoffeeBerry® may stimulate Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity, a human blood enzyme directly associated with maintenance of healthy cholesterol levels. CoffeeBerry® also may reduce oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), "bad" cholesterol that, when not managed, can lead to conditions such as atherosclerosis, strokes, and heart attacks.
According to Hunter, the CoffeeBerry® product line has generated significant interest from major companies in segments including nutritional supplements, retail coffee, beverages, cosmetics, and sports nutrition. "We are very excited by the numerous inquiries, partnerships, and exclusive licensing that the CoffeeBerry® product line has been generating. CoffeeBerry® presents select clients with an opportunity to design and market products featuring an incomparable, uniquely healthy food technology."
"There is only one CoffeeBerry®." Hunter stated.
CoffeeBerry® is Kosher and GMO-free. USDA Organic CoffeeBerry® products are also available.
The independent panel of experts who issued the GRAS determination included:
Walter H. Glinsmann, M.D.: President of Glinsmann, Inc, a company which evaluates the safety and health effects of foods, former Associate Director for Clinical Nutrition at the Food and Drug Administration, and a Fellow at the American Society for Nutritional Sciences;
James T. Heimbach, Ph.D., F.A.C.N.: President of JHeimbach LLC food and nutrition consulting, former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Consumer Research and Education Staff, and Fellow at the American College of Nutrition; and,
John A. Thomas, Ph.D.: Professor Emeritus and former Vice President of Academic Services at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, TX.
About FutureCeuticals, Inc.
FutureCeuticals, Inc. is a leader in the research and development of innovative, scientifically justified, clinically tested functional food ingredients and nutritional products with facilities in Illinois, Wisconsin, California, and Europe.