EUROPE – The European Commission has ruled that oligofructose can now be used in European baby foods.

The news, announced by the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Food (SCF), means that a mixture oligofructose and galacto-oligosaccharides can now be added to food for infants younger than six months.

Oligofructose is a prebiotic additive, used to improve digestion and metabolism. It is already used in dairy products, including yogurt. It is also used in baby foods in Asia and Latin America.

It is thought that galacto-oligosaccharides contain a nutrient that helps brain development in a child’s early months.
The news comes after the European Commission ruled last September that oligofructose and inulin could be used in foods in Europe.

Active food ingredient supplier Orafti helped the SCF with its research.