Plant protein substances: The regulatory aspects

Yves GOEMANS



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Plant protein substances: The regulatory aspects
Oléagineux, Corps Gras, Lipides. Volume 6, Number 6, 505-8, Novembre - Décembre 1999, Dossier : Protéines végétales et alimentation humaine
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Author(s) : Yves GOEMANS
Summary : Vegetable protein products are food ingredients derived from vegetable sources such as soya, wheat, beans, peas, lupins, lucerne etc. These ingredients are highly regulated and the regulations cover three areas : the definition of vegetable protein products (VPP); the use of VPP in food products and the end product labelling; the status of VPP under the genetically modified organism (GMO) or novel food regulations. At the international level Codex Alimentarius adopted definitions for vegetable protein products, soya protein products and wheat gluten. Depending on the protein content, the distinction is made between meal, concentrates and isolates. The use of VPP in food products is not harmonised in the EU with the exception of a certain category of VPP (soya isolates) in infant formulae. For the use in meat products conflicts may rise between the general principles of EU food law (such as the free circulation of food products, the freedom of recipe, the horizontal labeling regulations) and the national recipe laws or codes of practice. Since VPP’s are nutritious and functional ingredients there is no need to set quantitative limitations to their use in food products. This is the position the EU and the French industry federation advocate. Since the commercial introduction of the genetically modified soya, additional regulatory restrictions may apply to such GMO derived ingredients, also the Novel Foods Regulation impact the recent and future developments of VPP’s. Certain VPP’s, especially the soya proteins, have proven health benefits recognised by regulatory agencies such as the US FDA, but communicating about these health benefits is hindered in the EU by the lack of a similar and uniform EU framework for using health claims.
Keywords : vegetable protein products legislation, meat products composition standards, Van Der Laan judgement, genetically modified soya, soya protein, health claims, GEPV.