Addition of plant sterols and stanols to food assessment of a new study from the Netherlands

Plant sterols and stanols are added to foods such as margarine, milk and bread, because of their cholesterol-lowering effect. Most foods with such additives are novel foods which must accordingly be assessed and approved in terms of their potential health risks. Plant sterols are found in low quantities in all fatty plant-based foods such as oils, nuts, seeds and cereals. For humans, they are not essential and are hardly used in the human metabolism. Plant stanols are hydrolysed plant sterols which are not naturally present in plant-based foods. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)... Mehr ...