Valensa International announced that it has begun offering its Chia Gold Stabilized Chia Seed Oil in Europe. The company gained Novel Food approval for the ingredient via a substantial equivalence opinion in September of last year. The ingredient, which was launched by Valensa in the United States in 2012 is one of the top-selling Chia-based Omega-3 ingredients in the US market – known for its exceptional shelf-stability, pleasant taste and overall quality based on Valensa’s proprietary processing technologies. Chia Gold contains 550 milligrams (mg) of ALA Omega-3 per gram of oil. It is a part of Valensa’s industry-leading portfolio of chia-based ingredients, developed with the company’s solvent-free, supercritical CO2 extraction technology and proprietary O2B® Peroxidation Blocker stabilization technology. Chia Gold is available for use in the same food categories and at the same use levels as Europe’s existing chia oils, which includes its use in fats and oils (≤ 10%) and in food supplements (≤ 2 g/day).
According to Sylvia de Jong, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Valensa, Novel Food approval for Chia Gold will allow European consumer products companies to enhance the Omega-3 nutritional profile of their products in applications where taste and product stability are primary concerns. “Omega-3s are among the most desirable nutritional ingredients in Europe and Chia is emerging with consumers as a popular source – because it is plant-based and sustainable. It has the potential to become a differentiator in a broad range of consumer products,” she said. “With Chia Gold, consumer product developers can use the best-tasting, most shelf-stable chia oil product on the market – unleashing their creativity in formulation while assuring the highest quality for their customers and building their brands,” she added.
Advanced, Patented Processing Technology
According to Stephen Hill, Vice President of Product Development, “Valensa utilizes its state-of-the-art Deep Extract® Supercritical CO2 extraction process (solvent-free) to produce the highest Omega-3 concentration, highest purity chia oil in conditions that delay the onset of rancidification – particularly when compared to conventional expeller-press processes. This process delivers the best tasting chia oil on the market – an important factor for taste-sensitive formulations like gummies and nutrition bars”.
In addition, Valensa utilizes its patented O2B® Peroxidation Blocker technology to stabilize Chia Gold and employs a Rancimat® device to validate shelf life. Years of data with Chia Gold show an industry-leading stability for the ingredient and a shelf-life of at least 2 years, even at room temperature. As a company, Valensa holds 13 U.S. and International patents for Chia oil and has a state-of-the art extraction facility that maximizes the quality, stability and shelf life of the oil produced. Chia Gold raw materials are ethically and sustainably sourced and monitored for quality.
Sylvia de Jong: “After the reception that Chia Gold has had in the United States, we’re excited to be able to offer this ingredient in the European market. We feel that consumer product companies will embrace the market opportunities this special value proposition will enable.”
