SAN FRANCISCO — TerraVia Holdings, Inc. has received a “no questions” letter from the Food and Drug Administration regarding the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status of algae butter, a palm-free, non-hydrogenated, vegan system for bakery, spreads and confectionery applications, the South San Francisco-based company said April 13.
SB Oils, a joint venture of TerraVia and Bunge, will produce algae butter. Bunge North America, St. Louis, will market the ingredient in the United States.
 |
| Mark Brooks, senior vice-president of TerraVia |
“The food industry has been searching for a replacement for palm and hydrogenated vegetable oils that maintains quality, taste and functionality and also meets their rigorous criteria for sustainable sourcing,” said Mark Brooks, senior vice-president of TerraVia. “We believe algae butter is a game changer for the structuring fats industry in terms of sustainability and nutrition.”
Algae butter provides a clean taste and has been shown to reduce saturated fat by up to 50% in most applications, TerraVia said. A quick-melting feature improves the performance and sensory experience of the ingredient.
 |
| Mark Stavro, senior director of marketing for Bunge North America |
