EU Novel Food Approval for Synthetic Vitamin K2

Kappa Bioscience (Oslo, Norway) has secured novel food approval for K2Vital, the company’s non-dairy, non-soy version of vitamin K2 menaquinone-7.

Vitamin K2, a type of vitamin K, has received increasing attention for cardiovascular and bone health support, with a heavy presence in global markers as a dietary supplement. The ingredient is understood for its role in activating osteocalcin, a protein required to move calcium from the blood to the bones.

In 2009, EFSA (Parma, Italy) supported an EU health claim for vitamin K and the maintenance of normal bone and normal blood coagulation.

Kappa Bioscience’s application for vitamin K2 novel food status was submitted to the German Food Safety Agency and ultimately acknowledged by all EU member states. The company’s ingredient is a synthetically vitamin K2 composed of trans-menaquinone-7. The ingredient is backed up by various toxicology studies and research indicating equivalent bioavailability and function when compared to natural vitamin K2 derived from bacterial fermentation.

K2Vital is also marketed as ActivK S by DuPont Danisco (Copenhagen).