BEER SHEVA, ISRAEL—LycoRed Ltd. announced The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) affirmed lycopene from tomato extract as safe for use as a food additive. LycoRed’s tomato lycopene ingredients fall squarely within the parameters of the JECFA monograph.
Zohar Nir, LycoRed’s vice president of new product development and scientific affairs, stated: “There is a large and impressive body of scientific data supporting the safety of tomato lycopene. It is to be expected that this expert committee’s comprehensive evaluation of safety and toxicology would result in a vote of full confidence for the food use of lycopene from tomato extract. LycoRed is optimistic that along with additional toxicological evidence, the JECFA findings will be used by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to support an increase to the Accepted Daily Intake (ADI) for tomato lycopene in the EU.”