Health Canada announced this week that products containing ground or milled flax may now sport a shiny new health claim on the label — that consuming milled or ground flax has been proven to lower levels of blood cholesterol. Elevated blood cholesterol levels have been identified as a major risk factor for developing heart disease.
This health claim, valid in Canada only, is great news for the flax industry, says Kelley Fitzpatrick, a nutritional consultant who worked with the Flax Council of Canada to have the claim approved.
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Most flax is sold into industrial markets, however Fitzpatrick says that there’s real value in the food market and this claim is a big step towards growing the flax industry for Canadian farmers both in volume and in value. In the interview below, RealAgriculture editor Lyndsey Smith asks Fitzpatrick about the potential value this may add to the flax industry, where the claim stands in other markets and if this will translate to more flax demand.
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