Kensing develops cream cheese with sunflower plant sterols
US ingredient manufacturer Kensing has developed a prototype light cream cheese enriched with Sunvasterol EST, its sunflower-derived plant sterol ingredient. The company will present the product at Fi Europe in Frankfurt on November 17–19.
According to the company, the ingredient makes up 6.7% of the formulation. A 25 g serving of the cheese provides about 1 g of plant sterols, and two servings a day provide 1.5–2.4 g. Under an EFSA-approved health claim, this intake lowers LDL cholesterol by 7–10% within 2–3 weeks. The esterified sterols are fat-soluble, so they disperse evenly in the product’s fat phase without a grainy texture or off-flavours. The ingredient is also suitable for yogurts, spreads and sauces.
Sunvasterol is made from sunflower oil distillates, a by-product of oil extraction, at Kensing’s plants in Valencia and Talavera de la Reina, Spain. Last year the company received EU authorisation for Sunvasterol as a novel food.
