EFSA OKs Oat Beta-Glucan Cholesterol Claim

PARMA, ItalyThe European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) ruled nutrition and allergies (NDA) foods providing 3g of oat beta-glucan per day can bear the health claim: Oat beta-glucan has been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol. Blood cholesterol lowering may reduce the risk of heart disease." However, the health claim still needs to be approved by the Nutrition and Health Claim Regulation (EC) Commission.  This EFSA statement concerning the naturally occurring oat beta-glucan found in oat bran is the first positive cereal-based, disease-risk reduction opinion.

A scientific panel of EFSA published its opinion on a disease risk reduction health claim dossier for oat beta-glucan following an application from CreaNutrition AG submitted pursuant to Article 14 of the EC regulation on nutrition and health claims. EC No 1924/2006 stipulates that only approved health claims can be used in the marketing of foods throughout Europe.

Bioactive oat beta-glucan is the cholesterol-lowering constituent of CreaNutritions OatWell® oat bran ingredients. According to the EFSA Journal, The evidence presented indicates the cholesterol-lowering effect of oat beta-glucan may depend on the increased viscosity in the small intestine that reduces the reabsorption of bile acids, increases the synthesis of bile acids from cholesterol, and reduces circulating (LDL) cholesterol concentrations. Viscosity in the small intestine is determined by the concentration, molecular weight (MW) and solubility of oat beta-glucan."( 2010;8(12):1885)

The eligible natural oat sources contain not only beta-glucan, but also insoluble fibres, protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and plant sterols. The first scientific report linking oat consumption to cholesterol reduction was published in the early 1960s.

CreaNutrition offers bioactive oat beta-glucan solutions. Sizeably funded clinical research conducted extensively over the past 20 years, as well as specific scientific dossiers submitted by CreaNutrition, have resulted in several health claim approvals being granted in the UK, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands and France.