LEUVEN, BELGIUM — Fugeia has received a no-objection letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with regard to the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status for the use of the company’s Brana Vita wheat bran extract as an ingredient in foods. The ingredient includes arabinoxylan oligosaccharides, which are natural soluble fiber and prebiotics that stimulate the growth of beneficial colon bacteria such as bifidobacteria. Brana Vita also has strong antioxidant activity.

“This is an important milestone for our company and for our customers preparing product launches in the United States,” said Herman Van Mellaert, chief executive officer of Leuven-based Fugeia. “Food companies want to differentiate their products by delivering great taste and specific health benefits to consumers. With Brana Vita we offer them a natural ingredient from a trusted origin to achieve these goals.

“The results achieved across a wide range of food categories have been very exciting. Our partners also value the body of scientific evidence that we have created to back up a high-impact commercial launch.”