Samyangsa, a leading South Korean food company, has announced that it has become the first company in the world to obtain Novel Food approval for allulose in Australia and New Zealand. This approval, granted by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), allows Samyangsa to sell allulose as a food ingredient in these countries.

Allulose is a rare sugar found in nature that is 70% as sweet as sucrose but contains nearly zero calories. It has a similar taste to fructose and can be caramelized like sugar when heated, making it a versatile sweetener.

The Novel Food approval categorizes allulose as a food ingredient, allowing for more flexible use in food products compared to high-intensity sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and erythritol, which are classified as food additives.

With growing consumer demand for low-sugar and low-fat products, the Australian and New Zealand food markets have been experiencing significant growth, particularly in the organic and free-from food segments. The approval of allulose is expected to further fuel this trend, as it can be used in a wide range of products without compromising taste or texture.

Samyangsa began preparing for the FSANZ Novel Food approval process in November 2021 and successfully obtained approval after approximately three years of rigorous testing and evaluation. As the first company to receive this approval, Samyangsa will have exclusive rights to supply allulose in Australia and New Zealand for a certain period. The company plans to actively pursue new customers and distribution channels in these markets under its B2B allulose brand, Nexweet.

In 2020, Samyangsa obtained Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), further validating the safety of allulose. Additionally, the company has secured both Kosher and Halal certifications for its allulose products.

"With this approval, we are excited to expand our allulose business into Australia and New Zealand," said Lee Sang-hoon, head of Samyangsa's Food Business Unit. "We will actively promote Nexweet allulose to new customers and distribution partners in these markets and capitalize on the growing demand for low-sugar and healthy food options. With the recent completion of our new specialty plant in Ulsan, we have a robust production capacity to meet global demand."

Samyangsa completed construction of its new specialty plant in Ulsan in September, significantly increasing its annual allulose production capacity to 13,000 tons. The plant can produce both liquid and crystalline allulose, making it more convenient for global distribution.

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