Rhamnogalacturonan-I enriched carrot extract (cRG-I) as a novel food: the AOAC 2017.16 method underreports pectin fibre by 7.6 % on average, lead and cadmium checked with processing factors of 39 and 34
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1306, published on 12 June 2026, authorises an extract of carrot pomace enzymatically enriched in rhamnogalacturonan-I domains (NutriLeads B.V.), among others in food supplements up to 1500 mg per day for persons over 3 years, in muesli up to 5000 mg/100 g and in imitation cream up to 10 000 mg/100 g. Protection of the applicant’s data lasts until 2 July 2031.
- Specification in the regulation: rhamnogalacturonan-I ≥ 70 %, rhamnose ≥ 9 %, soluble dietary fibre ≥ 60 %, total dietary fibre ≥ 70 %, free sugars ≤ 3 %, moisture ≤ 7 %, water activity < 0.6; lead and cadmium ≤ 1.0 mg/kg, arsenic and mercury ≤ 0.1 mg/kg, perchlorate ≤ 0.05 mg/kg; TAMC ≤ 1 × 10³ CFU/g, B. cereus and Enterobacteriaceae < 1 × 10² CFU/g, sulphite-reducing anaerobes < 30 CFU/g.
- Total dietary fibre was determined by AOAC 991.43 (8 batches, 59.9–71.0 %) and AOAC 2017.16 (10 batches, 73.7–83.7 %), free sugars by HPAEC-PAD according to ISO 22184, starch by AOAC 2014.10. EFSA pointed out that AOAC 2017.16 underreports fibre from pectins rich in galacturonic acid because of incomplete precipitation in 78 % ethanol; here by 7.6 % on average, and the mass balance after correction was 91.6–100.1 %.
- Metals and elements were determined by ICP-MS (in-house method): cadmium 0.09–0.95 mg/kg, lead 0.15–0.84 mg/kg; nitrate by LC-DAD according to ASU L 26.00-1 (36.9–431 mg/kg). In line with Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2023/915 the applicant determined experimental processing factors from fresh carrots to the product: 39 for lead and 34 for cadmium.
- Microbiology was tested with AFNOR methods (3M Petrifilm, Salmonella in 50 g), B. cereus according to ISO 7932 and sulphite-reducing anaerobes according to ISO 15213:2003. In the stability study (18 °C, 50 % relative humidity, up to 2 years) the molecular weight distribution of the polysaccharides did not change. Food supplements are not intended for children under three years of age.