EFSA Panel Reports On Assessment Of 442 “General Function” Food Health Claims

The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) NDA Panel has assessed 442 “general function” health claims – about 80 percent of such claims – relating to protection against oxidative damage to body cells, contribution to either cognitive or bowel function and maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels. The panel reported favorably on claims regarding the relationships between, for example, walnuts and improved function of blood vessels and the antioxidant effects of olive oil polyphenols on LDL cholesterol. Nutrient replacement claims approved included replacement of digestible starch by resistant starch to lower the increase of blood glucose levels after meals and  replacement of saturated fatty acids with mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids to maintain normal blood cholesterol. Claims not approved generally offered low quality scientific evidence, EFSA said.