Third Time Not a Charm for EFSA Health Claims

PARMA, ItalyThe European Food Safety Authoritys (EFSA) Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) issued its third series of opinions regarding submitted general function" health claims under article 13.1 of the EU Regulation 1924/2006. On Oct. 19, EFSA issued 75 opinions covering 808 claims; this brings to 1,745 the total number of claims assessed by NDA, from a list of 4,637 health claims compiled by member states and the European Commission. EFSA plans to finalize the evaluation of all 13.1 claims (other than botanicals) by the end of June 2011.

All the scientific opinions are available online. In the most recent batch, EFSA noted most of the favorable outcomes were related to vitamins and minerals, but also included claims on specific dietary fibers and weight management and blood glucose; fatty acids claims related to heart health, vision and brain function; and live yogurt cultures (probiotics) and lactose digestion. However, as with previous evaluations, many of the claims were found to have poor quality information, yielding an unfavorable opinion. Among the cited information gaps were inability to identify the substance associated with the claim; lack of evidence that the effect is beneficial to the body; or lack of precision in the claim language.

EFSA is also organizing a series of meetings focused on different areas of health claims to provide applicants with more detailed information on the preparation of health claims applications. The first meeting is set for Dec. 2, 2010, and will focus on health claims related to gut and immune functions; information is available online.