On October 1st, the European Commission confirmed that the protein hydrolysate and enriched protein hydrolysate of Azuki bean flour are not novel, based on the evaluation of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), following an Article 4 consultation request.
The entry for “azuki bean” (Phaseolus angularis) in the novel food catalogue confirms that azuki beans do not fall within the scope of the novel food Regulation. The azuki bean is subjected to a standard milling process and the resulting flour is treated with a commercial proteolytic enzyme to yield the protein hydrolysate. Protein hydrolysis is not a new food process and generally does not alter the gross composition or nutritional value of the final product. Compared to the starting material, protein hydrolysates have a reduced proportion of larger proteins relative to smaller proteins, peptides and amino acids which can improve texture and digestibility. Enrichment of the protein content to more than double that in the azuki bean flour is achieved by centrifugation and ultrafiltration of the protein hydrolysate, which also removes insoluble material and reduces carbohydrate and fibre concentrations. The azuki bean flour protein hydrolysate and enriched protein hydrolysate will be used in a variety of foods and food supplements similar to azuki bean flour.
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