AAK USA Receives GRAS Approval for Shea Stearin, a Versatile Plant-Based Ingredient

(July 11, 2024) Edison, NJ – AAK, one of the world’s leading ingredient suppliers specializing in value-adding specialty fats and oils, has announced it has received a No Questions Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in response to its GRAS Notification for shea stearin, marking the first expanded use of shea stearin in new food categories since 1998.

“Expanded GRAS approval of shea stearin by the FDA is a major milestone, offering regulatory certainty to our customers and opening doors for the use of this ingredient across several food categories,” said Octavio Díaz de León Carrillo, President of AAK USA, Inc. and Vice President AAK AB. “As a versatile plant-based fat, shea stearin can be utilized in various applications, from bakery items and confectionery fillings to nut and seed spreads, margarine, plant-based foods and more. We see tremendous opportunity in creating functional food products that consumers will purchase, particularly within the popular segments of plant-based meat and poultry and plant-based dairy alternatives. With the FDA’s approval of shea stearin as a safe source of fat, AAK is helping food manufacturers create the next generation foods.”

The FDA’s GRAS notification signifies transparency, ensures safety for food manufacturers and is essential for all manufacturers to produce in or export to the North American market. With this determination, the FDA validates the safe use of shea stearin as a source of fat in various foods within specified maximum use levels.

“We are thrilled with the newly approved uses of shea stearin,” said Dr. Jeffrey Fine, Senior Director, Customer Innovation for AAK in the U.S. and Canada. “This offers a long-awaited alternative source of plant-derived solid fat with a considerably lower saturated fat content than coconut oil, widely used today.”

With coast-to-coast Customer Innovation Centers, the versatility provided by one of the broadest lines of plant-based oils and fats in the industry and more than 150 years of experience, AAK answers the most demanding product development challenges, co-developing solutions together with our customers. AAK is dedicated to making better nutrition happen for all ages and across multiple nutrition market segments. Find out more about AAK’s offerings and many of their latest Co-Development solutions that can help you get your products to market faster by visiting www.betterwithaak.com.

About AAK

Everything AAK does is about Making Better Happen™. We specialize in plant-based oils that are the value-adding ingredients in many of the products people love to consume. We make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable. At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development, combining our desire to understand what better means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of our production assets, and a deep knowledge of many products and industries, including Chocolate & Confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice and Personal Care. Our 4,100 employees support our close collaboration with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 16 dedicated Customer Innovation Centers, and with the support of more than 20 production facilities. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been Making Better Happen for 150 years.