Roquette Receives EFSA Green Light on Reducing Post-Prandial Glycemic Response Health Claim

16 Oct 2014 --- Following an application from Roquette Italia S.P.A., submitted for authorisation of a health claim pursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of Italy, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to Nutriose06 and a reduction of post-prandial glycaemic responses.

Non-digestible carbohydrates, including resistant dextrin in Nutriose06, are resistant to hydrolysis and absorption in the small intestine and therefore do not contribute to post-prandial glycaemia. This opinion applies to non-digestible carbohydrates (e.g. non-starch polysaccharides, resistant oligosaccharides and resistant starch), which should replace glycaemic carbohydrates in foods or beverages in order to obtain the claimed effect.

The Panel considers that the food constituent, non-digestible carbohydrates, which is the subject of the health claim, and the food constituent (i.e. glycaemic carbohydrates) that non-digestible carbohydrates should replace in foods or beverages are both sufficiently characterised in relation to the claimed effect. The Panel considers that a reduction of post-prandial glycaemic responses might be a beneficial physiological effect. A claim on non-digestible carbohydrates and reduction of post-prandial glycaemic responses has already been assessed by the Panel with a favourable outcome.

The previous evaluation, including the proposed wording and the conditions of use, also applies to this application. The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has been established between the consumption of foods/beverages containing non-digestible carbohydrates and a reduction of post-prandial glycaemic responses as compared with foods/beverages containing glycaemic carbohydrates.