The Canadian company claims that BioAsteri is the first borage oil in the world to be self-affirmed as GRAS (generally recognized as safe).
However due to the different regulatory climate, in Europe BioAsteri has been available as an ingredient for foods for as long as it has been for supplements - that is, since the mid-1990s.
"We wanted to broaden the application possibilities in the US," Adrian Hughes, director of new business and technical support for Europe and Asia told NutraIngredients-USA.com.
Manny Sabares, marketing manager at Bioriginal Canada, said that the motivation behind gaining GRAS status for the ingredient was market-driven.
"Food companies are aware that consumers are looking for additional properties, so they are looking to include essential fats in foods," he said.
According to Euromonitor International, the retail value of the functional foods market in the United States was $5.22 billion in 2004. It is expected to grow some 33 percent by 2009, to $6.93 billion.
Within this market there has been a good deal of attention paid recently to omega-3 fatty acids - especially since the FDA extended the approved health claim that EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids in both supplements and conventional foods may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in September 2004.
But Hughes said: "We want to educate people that they should be taking the whole spectrum of essential fats."
GLA, an omega-6 fatty acid, has been shown in clinical trials to deliver anti-inflammatory benefits and boost healthy skin, joints and cardiovascular function.
Ripening from July to October, borage seeds have a higher level of GLA than other sources: 23 percent, compared to 15 percent for blackcurrant and 8 percent for evening primrose.
Hughes explained that GLA is a pre-cursor to an anti-inflammatory icosanoid, one of a group of hormone-like compounds that regulate cell function and are essential to human life.
"The modern Western diet is rich in materials that raise the pro-inflammatory icosaniods," he said, noting that health conditions like arthritis and allergies are on the rise. However although some scientists believe that there is a link between this and diet, Hughes added that the connection has not been definitively proven.
The ingredient is available in oil form and as a powder. The powder version contains casonate (also GRAS) as a support medium.
Hughes said that it is suitable for use in a wide range of food products, including breads and beverages.
But it is important to remember that consumers may not accept health-promoting ingredients in all kinds of products. For example, it may be counter-intuitive to add GLA to confectionery but it may be well received in a yogurt product.
Although the refined oil is more susceptible to oxidation than sunflower and soy oil, this stability issue can be overcome with technical know-how.
Neither Hughes nor Sabares could comment on whether any clients are planning to use the ingredient in the near future, but they did say that there was a "good response" from both food and supplement manufacturers at SupplySide West earlier this month.