A corn fibre product, zero-calorie Z-trim is made from dry milled corn bran and cellulose and targets food makers wanting a natural fat replacement to cut calories and boost insoluble fibre.
A subsidiary of Circle Group Holdings, FiberGel Technologies holds all rights to Z-Trim under existing license from the US department of agriculture.
The firm said this week that the USDA has now accepted an 'Advance Notice of Grant' for patent protection in Europe, including Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and the UK.
"We anticipate that this additional protection of Z-Trim will be strategically beneficial and quite complimentary to the great efforts of DKSH, our European distributor," said Rick Harris, FiberGel's vice-president of sales and marketing.
Mounting concerns over global weight and health issues have led major food manufacturers to take an increasing interest in the product, claim the makers, already involved in a long-term agreement with Nestle which started earlier this year.
Z-trim, that has GRAS status, comes as a fine powder and can be used as either powder or gel. The gel is created from combining the powder with water.
