HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"L 29/34
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
3.2.2011
COMMISSION DECISION
of 2 February 2011
authorising the placing on the market of a chitin-glucan from Aspergillus niger as a novel food
ingredient under Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the European Parliament and of the Council
(notified under document C(2011) 480)
(Only the French text is authentic)
(2011/76/EU)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
(6)
On the basis of the scientific assessment, it is established
that chitin-glucan from Aspergillus niger complies with the
criteria laid down in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EC)
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European
No 258/97.
Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the European
(7) The
measures
provided
for
in
this
Decision
are
in
Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 1997 concerning
accordance with the opinion of the Standing
novel foods and novel food ingredients (
Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,

1 ), and in particular
Article 7 thereof,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Whereas:
Article 1
(1) On
15
January
2008
the
company
Kitozyme
SA
made
a
request to the competent authorities of Belgium to place
Chitin-glucan from Aspergillus niger as specified in the Annex
a chitin-glucan from Aspergillus niger on the market as a
may be placed on the market in the Union as a novel food
novel food ingredient.
ingredient to be used in food supplements with a maximum
dose of 5 g per day.
(2) On
5
November
2008
the
competent
food
assessment
body of Belgium issued its initial assessment report. In
Article 2
that report it came to the conclusion that an additional
assessment was required.
The designation of chitin-glucan from Aspergillus niger au-
thorised by this Decision on the labelling of the foodstuff
containing it shall be ‘chitin-glucan from Aspergillus niger’.
(3) The
Commission
forwarded
the
initial
assessment
report
to all Member States on 12 March 2009. Several Member
States submitted additional comments.
Article 3
This Decision is addressed to Kitozyme SA, Rue Haute Claire, 4,
(4) Therefore
the
European
Food
Safety
Authority
(EFSA) Parc Industriel des Hauts-Sarts, Zone 2, 4040 Herstal, Belgium.
was consulted on 27 August 2009.
Done at Brussels, 2 February 2011.
(5) On 9 July 2010, EFSA (Panel on Dietetic Products,
Nutrition and Allergies) in the ‘Scientific opinion on
the safety of “chitin-glucan” as a novel food ingredient’ ( 2 )
For the Commission
came to the conclusion that chitin-glucan from Asper
gillus niger was safe under the proposed conditions of
John DALLI
use and the proposed levels of intake.
Member of the Commission
( 1 ) OJ L 43, 14.2.1997, p. 1.
( 2 ) EFSA Journal 2010; 8(7): 1687.

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EN
3.2.2011 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union L
29/35
ANNEX
SPECIFICATIONS OF CHITIN-GLUCAN FROM ASPERGILLUS NIGER MYCELIUM
Description
Chitin-glucan is obtained from the mycelium of Aspergillus niger, it is a slightly yellow, odourless, free-flowing powder. It
has a dry matter content of 90 % or more.
Chitin-glucan is composed largely of two polysaccharides:
— chitin, composed of repeating units of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (CAS No: 1398-61-4),
— beta(1,3)-glucan, composed of repeating units of D-glucose (CAS No: 9041-22-9).
Specification of chitin-glucan from Aspergillus niger
Loss on drying
≤ 10 %
Chitin-glucan
≥ 90 %
Ratio of chitin to glucan 30:70
to
60:40
Ash
≤ 3 %
Lipids
≤ 1 %
Proteins
≤ 6 %

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