Creatine product "Creavitalis": Wholesome taste and positive benefits for vegetarian and vegan foods

Meat substitutes are very much in vogue. Burgers, bratwurst, cold cuts - there is hardly a product for which there is not now a meat-free variant. Manufacturers of plant-based alternatives to meat, fish and dairy products can now use a new food supplement that could be groundbreaking: Creatine monohydrate, commonly known as creatine. The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety confirmed on 30 May 2023 that creatine monohydrate may be regularly used in foodstuffs throughout the EU. It therefore does not fall under the Novel Food Regulation.   

This is the result of a consultation request launched by the company Alzchem.  

Under the brand name Creavitalis^®, Alzchem will launch specially prepared creatine monohydrate as a fine, tasteless powder for the food industry in the autumn and distribute it worldwide. Already at a dosage of 0.5 grams of Creavitalis^® per 100 grams of food, the creatine content of meat is reached. One launch customer is the Munich-based company Grillido with a plant-based fillet containing creatine.  

Creatine is an endogenous compound that occurs in the body's muscle cells, among other places, and plays a central role in energy metabolism as creatine phosphate. Scientific studies have been looking at the positive effects of creatine for a long time.^{[1] [2]} People who eat meat and fish automatically take in some creatine with their food - in contrast, dairy products and plants contain little or no creatine.  This means that vegetarians, vegans and flexitarians consume little or no creatine in their diet.     

In general, interest in the diverse effects of creatine in the body is increasing more and more. More than 30 universities worldwide are currently conducting research on this topic. "We see great opportunities, especially for manufacturers of meat substitute products. . By adding creatine monohydrate, they can close a nutrient gap to animal products and thus help consumers to better achieve their nutritional goals," explains Robert Alber, Vice President Human Nutrition at Alzchem in Trostberg, Bavaria. In this way, new foods can experience a functional upgrade thanks to Creavitalis^®."   

Creatine - a worldwide megatrend  

In Germany, creatine products are already real sales hits in drugstores and discounters. Alzchem has been producing creatine monohydrate in Germany for more than 30 years and is the only manufacturer outside China to successfully market it to customers in the sports supplement sector - the positive effect of creatine has long been known among professional athletes.   

The synthetic production of creatine also makes it suitable for vegan nutrition. Due to the growing interest outside of sports, Alzchem is now launching Creavitalis^®, a variant optimised for the needs of the food industry.  

There are two EU Health Claims for creatine monohydrate, which have been approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). These health claims confirm the positive effects of creatine on physical performance as well as on the maintenance of muscle mass.^{[3] [4]} In addition, numerous scientific studies confirm the valuable effects of creatine monohydrate on the body.  A good overview of the current studies can be found at www.creatineforhealth.com.  

The reason for the federal agency's decision is that creatine monohydrate has been used for human consumption in the EU for over 25 years. In the USA, the FDA^[5] classified creatine monohydrate as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) in 2020, which means it can be used as a food ingredient without special approval.