The authorization, issued jointly by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS), permits Curcumin C3 Reduct for use in food supplements at a maximum daily dose of 140 mg for adults aged 18 and older.
“Receiving novel food authorization in Great Britain is a significant achievement for our European operations and reflects the strength of the scientific dossier our team assembled in support of this application,” said Dr. Umar Jan, president of European operations at Sabinsa.
C3 Reduct’s global regulatory status
The authorization follows Sabinsa Europe GmbH’s submission of a comprehensive safety dossier in 2023, including toxicology, genotoxicity, compositional and human studies. After reviewing the data, the FSA and FSS found no safety, allergenicity or stability concerns and concluded that the ingredient is safe for use at the proposed intake levels.
“This authorization represents an important milestone for Curcumin C3 Reduct and underscores Sabinsa’s commitment to rigorous science and regulatory transparency,” said Dr. Shaheen Majeed, global CEO and managing director of Sabinsa.
“We are pleased that both the FSA and FSS have concluded that our tetrahydrocurcuminoids ingredient is safe under the proposed conditions of use, and we look forward to supporting supplement brands in Great Britain with a fully authorized, well-characterized curcuminoid ingredient.”
The decision builds on a positive assessment from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2021, which established a safe intake level of 140 mg per day.
In the United States, Curcumin C3 Reduct holds self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status, in Brazil, it became the first and only THC ingredient authorized by the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) in early 2024, with approval for use at a daily dose of 120 mg. The ingredient has also gained regulatory acceptance in Canada, where authorities approved it as a Natural Health Product and recognized its antioxidant claim at a recommended dosage of 100 mg twice daily.
Sabinsa’s curcumin C3 Reduct ingredient
Curcumin C3 Reduct is a purified ingredient derived from turmeric through catalytic hydrogenation of curcuminoids, a process that produces a powder that is 95% THCs. In the body, curcuminoids are normally converted into THCs through the action of gut bacteria and liver processes, but C3 Reduct is designed to bypass that conversion step by supplying THCs directly.
Some research suggests that THCs might demonstrate increased absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and higher concentrations in serum and liver tissue compared with parent curcumin, and research shows that THCs may exhibit strong antioxidant activity, reduce lipid peroxidation, and influence inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α and IL-6.
The hydrogenation process is also designed to enhance stability by removing chemical bonds that contribute to curcumin’s yellow color and sensitivity to degradation, resulting in a colorless, pH-stable ingredient.
Combatting turmeric supplement adulteration risk
A recent review by the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) found that over 25% of turmeric supplements may be adulterated. This highlights a major opportunity for responsible manufacturers to strengthen quality control, improve transparency, and build consumer trust, Majeed previously told NutraIngredients.
According to Majeed, the popularity of clinically studied turmeric extracts has led to a surge of unusually cheap curcumin products, some of which contain high levels of synthetic compounds designed to evade standard quality tests. He noted that the commodification of research-backed botanicals represents one of the industry’s most dangerous trends, and the resulting race to the bottom in pricing is creating significant risks for product quality and consumer safety.
“Clinical studies on specific, standardized materials don’t transfer to generic alternatives from multiple sources using different processing methods,” he said.
“When brands source ‘equivalent’ versions to save costs, they’re essentially conducting uncontrolled experiments on consumers. The industry’s future depends on elevating quality over cost and research integrity over generic equivalence, because one adulterated ingredient can destroy years of brand building and consumer trust.”
