Z-Trim, the zero-calorie, fat-replacement product that is said to reduce fat, calories and carbohydrates without sacrificing taste, seems to be in position to benefit the packaged foods industry and consumers in the face of a portentous regulatory deadline.

By Jan. 1, 2006, food manufacturers must include on nutrition labels an indicator of the total grams of trans fat included in the product because of a Food and Drug Administration mandate. The time limit has food industry players anxiously examining options in the interest of avoiding a negative image in the regulatory spotlight.

“For many who offer processed packaged foods, there is a feeling that the deadline signals the end of business as they know it,” said Greg Halpern, president and CEO of FiberGel Technologies, the company that manufactures Z-Trim and owns the worldwide license to it.

“Although the labeling requirement will no doubt cause consumers to rethink their purchases, they need not stop eating the foods and brands they love. We’re positioned to benefit both consumers and their favorite brands with our product.”

Halpern notes that a “percent daily value” is conspicuously absent from the trans fats information on the labels. Such information is included for most of the other itemized ingredients.

“That’s because the FDA has not declared that there is a healthy level of trans fatty acids that can be recommended as a part of our daily diet,” said Halpern. “The case against trans fats has been made. Why include them when there is an affordable alternative that only improves digestion without impacting taste?”

Z-Trim is a calorie-free product made from corn bran. FiberGel claims Z-Trim reduces trans and saturated fats and calories up to 50 percent. The product can be used to reduce trans fats in dairy products, dressings, dips, sauces, baked goods, breading, coatings, powders, processed meats, snack foods, cookies, pies, cakes, icings, brownies, bars, ice cream and drink mixes, to name a few.

Other fat substitution discoveries in recent years seem to have faded as quickly as they appeared because of an unpleasant aftertaste or undesirable side-effects on digestion.

Z-Trim, which conveys only the taste of the other ingredients and improves the digestion process because it is an insoluble fiber, has gradually increased its production and its recipe portfolio. FiberGel’s parent company - Circle Group Holdings Inc. (http://www.crgq.com) - hopes its Z-Trim product line will have a major impact on obesity.

FiberGel Technologies is a subsidiary of Circle Group Holdings, Inc. (CXN) which is traded on the American Stock Exchange.

For more information on the product, visit http://ztrim.com.