Kemin Responds to EFSA Claim Rejection

LISBON, PortugalEuropean Food Safety Authority (EFSA) rejected Kemin's weight loss claim for Slendesta® Potato Extract, determining there is no cause and effect relationship between the product's consumption and weight reduction. So far, EFSA has only issued one positive opinion on ingredients for weight loss: glucomannan.

In June 2012, Kemin submitted a dossier of proprietary data, including four human studies and 12 supportive human intervention trials, pursuant to Article 13.5 of Regulation (EC) 1964/2006. EFSA issued its opinion on Feb. 12, 2013. The opinion, published in the EFSA Journal, read, "In weighing the evidence, the Panel took into account that all four human intervention studies from which conclusions could be drawn for the scientific substantiation of the claim did not show an effect of Slendesta® Potato Extract on the reduction of body weight."

Kemin maintains the ingredient is backed by strong scientific research, noting potato extract's effects on gastric emptying, post-prandial blood glucose concentrations and increases in satiety measurements, and cholecystokinin (CCK) concentrations.

The core study cited in the dossier was a multi-center, randomized, controlled clinical trial of 240 overweight and obese subjects. After 12 weeks of twice daily supplementation, participants in the unpublished study experienced a statistically significant placebo-adjusted reduction in weight (p = 0.0464).

Slendesta features Proteinase Inhibitor II (PI2) as its active component, which enhances the body's natural release of CCK for satiety. Learn more about PI2 and other weight loss ingredients in the INSIDER slide show "7 Eat-Less Ingredients."