Benefiting from a Japanese health claim, Bionov's (Robertet Group) active ingredient Extramel, which is a juice concentrate obtained from a proprietary variety of cantaloupe, is now further supported scientifically for its positive effect on stress.
Robertet’s exclusive partner in Japan, Zeria Healthway, recently had its health claim request for its food supplement, “Yasuragi Life-Peaceful Life,” validated by the Japanese Authority (Consumer Affairs Agency of Japan). With the product’s active ingredient being Extramel, manufacturers who choose to formulate Food with Function Claims (FFC) with Zeria will be able to claim: “Reduces the perceived stress of everyday life, and physical and mental fatigue.”
Extramel previously had two gold standard studies – Milesi et al. in 2009 and Carillon et al. in 2014 – show that the ingredient improves stress management and significantly reduces the negative effects of stress on our daily lives.
In addition to the claim obtained in Japan, Extramel also benefits from the registration in the Canadian Natural Health Products Database and has several ongoing procedures.
Prior to the FFC class, which was introduced in April 2015, food supplements were divided into three classes:
- Health food in general, for which no health or functional claim is permitted.
- Food with Nutritional Function Claims (FNFC), covering only vitamins and minerals, for which nutritional function claims are permitted.
- Food for specified health uses (FOSHU), officially approved by the government and authorized to claim a limited number of physiological effects on the human body.
The registration, approved by the Japanese Authority, requires data on the safety of the product, its effectiveness and the precise identification and quantification of the active ingredient driving the effectiveness. Despite the simplified procedure, the failure rate of FFC remains relatively high.
Extramel works by strengthening the body’s natural defenses to avoid oxidative stress which is a key factor in the development of emotional stress. The cantaloupe variety used to produce Extramel is grown exclusively in the south of France and it is manufactured using an environmentally friendly process. Extramel is available in organic and conventional versions.
“The registration took over four years,” said Christian Yard, Bionov's technical director who oversaw the entire process. “While the numerous scientific publications supporting the effectiveness of our melon concentrate validate it as a technical ingredient, Extramel is nonetheless an arguable ingredient with numerous marketing advantages. As we know that 75% of adults report having experienced moderate to high stress levels over the past month, there is no doubt that sales will grow strongly.”
