PLT achieves food additive status for mushroom vitamin D ingredient

The food additive petition process is a higher bar to clear than a GRAS affirmation.  It allows the ingredient to be added at specific levels to a wide range of foods and beverages, including breakfast cereals, baked goods, juices and meal replacements.

In addition, the Company said the approval of the petition means vitamin D in the form of its Earthlight branded ingredient can go into fruit smoothies, soups, soup mixes, vegetable juices, extruded vegetable snacks and plant-based meat analogs, categories that up to now were not covered in the Code of Federal Regulations for vitamin D fortification.

PLT said it manufactures its ingredinet by exposing mushrooms to ultraviolet light.  The mushrooms respond by manufcturing vitamin D in much the same way as certain cells in human skin do.  The resulting ingredient supplies 40,000 IU of vitamin D per gram, making the ingredient cost effective in use.  And the small inclusions needed to achive these effects won’t compromise the organaleptic properties of the food, the company asserts.

"We're pleased that U.S. FDA found our safety information acceptable and despite the hard work required, we are fully supportive of the Food Additives Petition process,"​ said Barbara A. Davis, PhD, head of clinical & regulatory sciences for PLT.