Europe gives toothy smile
The next tranche of opinions give a green light to tooth health and low glycaemic effect claims made for Beneo's Isomalt and Palatinose ingredients.
EFSA stated that "the claimed effects are 'dental health', 'remineralisation of teeth', 'not cariogenic' and 'do not produce tooth decay' reflecting the scientific evidence as frequent consumption of sugars contributes to tooth demineralisation".
"In order to bear the claim, such foods or drinks [should] not lower plaque pH below 5.7 during and up to 30 minutes after consumption and not lead to dental erosion."
Cause and effect
EFSA also established a cause and effect relationship between consumption of foods and drinks containing the two ingredients instead of traditional sugars and a reduction in post-prandial blood glucose responses.
"We believe this decision was based on the sound science backing the claims and the result of the intense exploratory work conducted since 2009, as well as continual, finally constructive dialogue along the way," said Anke Sentko, vice president, regulatory affairs and nutrition communication at Beneo.
Tate & Lyle also welcomed the thumbs up for its sugar replacement Sta-Lite polydextrose and Splenda sucralose to bear 'reduction of post prandial blood glucose response' and 'maintenance of tooth mineralisation' claims.
"This confirmation from EFSA on the science behind our ingredients is an important step to allowing Tate & Lyle's food and drink manufacturer clients to communicate the health benefits, in turn allowing consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions," said Caroline Sanders, global marketing and communication director, Tate & Lyle Speciality Food Ingredients.
EFSA published its evaluation of 442 more 'general function' health claims on April 8. Approvals also included the relation between walnuts and improved blood vessel function and the antioxidant effects of polyphenols found in olive oil and 'bad' cholesterol. Claims related to caffeine and alertness and caffeine and increased physical endurance were also approved.
A host of negative opinions included a range of benefits claimed for green tea catechins; beta-carotenes and nuts with omega-3 and omega-6 content (anti-inflammatory, heart health, weight management and healthy cardiovascular system). EFSA said a further 600 'general function' health claims needed to be assessed by June 2011.
