Newsletter 10/2009
EU upholds xylitol health claim
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Approval of the health claim is a matter of importance for the company that develops xylitol products, Leaf Suomi Oy. It led to the end of the application process, which had lasted for years. “It was an uplifting moment to become know as an international innovator,” Marja Piironen, the communications manager confirms.
The health claims go through strict screening, which means that in-depth scientific evidence is required. According to the claim, which was approved in April: ‘Chewing gum sweetened with 100% xylitol has been shown to reduce dental plaque. A high content level/amount of dental plaque is a risk factor in the development of caries in children’.
Claim helps marketing
With the approval, when 100% xylitol chewing gums that meet the criteria are being marketed, it is now possible to use the same scientifically proven claim in all EU countries. So far the health claims have been determined only at the national level.
“The uniform practice helps the marketing of 100% xylitol products in Europe. This serves consumers in particular. In the future only EU approved health claims can be used for the packaging and marketing foods,”
The world’s first xylitol chewing gum, Xylitol Jenkki, came onto the market in 1975.
Piironen says.
Leaf invests in ongoing research and product development. “We follow consumer trends closely and we will be bringing new xylitol products onto the market. New research results concerning the financial implications of xylitol products are coming”
Effective for ear infections
In addition to beneficial effects for teeth, research shows that 100% xylitol, when used regularly, also clearly reduces ear infections in children, by as much as 40%, according to studies at Oulu University.
Xylitol prevents the most important ear-infection bacterium, Streptococcus pneumoniae, from growing. The bacterium cannot use xylitol as a source of energy; on the contrary xylitol has a damaging effect on the bacterium.
Xylitol is a natural sweetener that can be found in small amounts in berries and fruits. Industrially, xylitol is produced from maize and beech and from the birch fibre that is obtained as a by-product in the production of pulp. Xylitol is also known as birch sugar.
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