IFF wins first soy protein heart health claim in Australia and New Zealand

IFF has secured the first approved heart health claim for isolated soy protein in Australia and New Zealand, in a regulatory development that gave food and beverage manufacturers a new route to market soy-based products with cholesterol-related health messaging.

• Food Standards Australia New Zealand accepted a new heart health claim linking isolated soy protein consumption with healthy blood cholesterol levels.
• The approval allowed foods delivering 20-25 grams of isolated soy protein per day, as part of a balanced diet, to carry the claim.
• IFF said the decision built on decades of soy protein research and created new product development opportunities across the region.

The approval from Food Standards Australia New Zealand, or FSANZ, meant manufacturers in both markets could connect soy protein consumption with healthy blood cholesterol levels, provided products were formulated to help consumers reach a daily intake of 20-25 grams of isolated soy protein as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

The ruling marked a significant step for IFF, which said it had backed the scientific work behind the submission through a multi-year research collaboration involving the Soy Nutrition Institute Global, the US Soybean Export Council, and researchers from Australia and the University of Toronto.

For IFF, the decision also strengthened the commercial case for soy protein at a time when food and beverage companies were looking for ingredients that could combine functionality, nutrition and clearer consumer-facing health credentials. The company said isolated soy protein was already used across a wide range of categories, including beverages, dairy alternatives, nutrition bars, snacks and plant-based foods.

Tony Andrew, vice president of protein solutions for IFF Food Ingredients, said the regulatory milestone reflected long-running work by the company in the category.

“For decades, IFF has invested in the science behind soy protein and its role in supporting cardiovascular health,” said Andrew. “This approved claim validates years of rigorous research and collaboration. With our deep expertise in ingredient science, application and scale, we are well-positioned to help our customers translate this milestone into differentiated products that deliver on health, taste and sustainability.”

The newly accepted claim centered on isolated soy protein, which the company described as a 90% plant-based, high-quality, complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids. That nutritional profile, combined with its functional properties in formulation, has made it a familiar ingredient in both traditional and emerging food applications.

IFF said the FSANZ decision offered brands in Australia and New Zealand a new opportunity to build products around heart health, an area of continuing interest for both public health authorities and consumers. In practical terms, the approval gave manufacturers a regulatory basis to position certain soy-based products around healthy blood cholesterol levels, so long as they met the conditions of use.

The scientific basis for the claim was highlighted by Dr. Alan Barclay, lead author of the FSANZ submission, who pointed to the strength of the evidence linking isolated soy protein intake with blood lipid outcomes.

“The clinical evidence supports a causal relationship between isolated soy protein consumption and improved blood lipids,” said Barclay. “With dyslipidemia affecting around 60% of Australian adults and many New Zealanders, daily consumption of soy protein offers a practical food-based nutrition strategy to help manage cholesterol and reduce cardiovascular risk.”

That public health backdrop helped explain why the decision mattered beyond ingredient suppliers alone. Elevated cholesterol and related cardiovascular risks remained a major concern in both countries, and the ability to communicate a recognized heart health benefit through foods rather than supplements or medicines could widen the role of soy protein in everyday diets.

The FSANZ approval also brought Australia and New Zealand into line with a broader group of countries that already recognized the relationship between soy protein consumption and heart health. According to IFF, the two countries joined 11 others, including the United States, Canada and Japan, in acknowledging that link.

For IFF, the announcement added regulatory momentum to a soy protein business it said had been built on decades of research and innovation tied to its SUPRO soy protein portfolio. The company said it was already working with manufacturers across the region to develop products designed to combine nutrition science, functionality and consumer appeal.

While the company’s announcement focused on the commercial opportunities created by the claim, the development also reflected the steady evolution of plant-based ingredients from simple protein replacement toward more specific health-led propositions. Rather than relying solely on sustainability or protein content, soy-based products in Australia and New Zealand could now be developed with a more targeted cardiovascular message where regulatory criteria were met.

That could prove particularly relevant in product categories where consumers were already seeking a mix of convenience, nutrition and evidence-based benefits. Beverages, bars, snacks and dairy alternatives have all become increasingly crowded spaces, and approved health claims can offer manufacturers a clearer point of differentiation when competing for shelf space and consumer attention.

IFF said the approval opened heart health growth opportunities for food and beverage manufacturers, giving them a new tool for product development in the region. With the claim now accepted, the company said it was positioned to help customers bring that science into commercial formats that aligned with consumer demand for taste, health and sustainability.

In that sense, the FSANZ decision was not just a regulatory milestone for soy protein. It was also a sign of how established plant proteins were continuing to gain more specific, clinically supported roles in food formulation and marketing, particularly in markets where health claims remained tightly controlled and hard won.