Report published : L’Algorithme du Système d'Etiquetage Nutritionnel Simplifié (SENS) Développement, description et validation
Darmon N., Maillot M., Braesco V., Tafournel E. [Internet]. 2015.
http://www.nutrition-quantitative.com/Rapport_SENS.pdf
European Commission: Botanical health claims and nutrient profiles are back on the agenda
The European Commission has published a roadmap on the evaluation of Regulation 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims. The main purpose of this evaluation is to assess whether health claims on botanicals and nutrient profiles, which are required for the implementation of the Regulation, are “fit for purpose”.
More precisely, the evaluation will examine whether nutrient profiles provided for in the Regulation, which have not yet been adopted, are warranted and adequate to ensure the objectives of the Regulation. It will also examine whether the current rules concerning health claims on plants and their preparations used in foods are adequate, and how the use of such claims interacts with the current applicable food regulatory framework on plants and their preparations.
The results of this evaluation will be used to decide on the next steps regarding this policy area. Several public consultations, through questionnaires, are planned in the context of this evaluation.
For more information: http://ec.europa.eu/smart-regulation/roadmaps/docs/2015_sante_595_evaluation_health_claims_en.pdf
Author: A. Chanson-Rolle. November 2015.
EFSA report: Foods for sportspeople
The European Commission asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to compile in a technical report the outcomes of scientific advice in the area of nutrition and health claims and Dietary Reference Values for adults that is relevant to sportspeople.
The report, published on September 29th 2015, addresses issues related to the roles of carbohydrates, hydration, electrolytes, protein, vitamin B1 & B6, as well as the ergogenic effects of caffeine and creatine.
The full report is available here: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/scientific_output/files/main_documents/871e.pdf
Author: A. Chanson-Rolle. October 2015.
EFSA: Dietary Reference Values for iron and copper
The scientific opinions on the DRV for those two minerals have been published on October 21st.
The full scientific opinions can be found at the following links: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4253
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4254
Author: A Chanson-Rolle. October 2015.
7th International Conference on Polyphenols and Health (ICPH 2015)
Polyphenols and Health (ICPH) was held on October 27-30 2015 in Tours, France.
Website.
EFSA general scientific guidance for health claims (update)
EFSA has launched an open consultation on its draft general scientific guidance for stakeholders on health claim applications. Interested parties are invited to submit written comments by 11 September 2015.
The guidance aims to explain the general scientific principles applied by the NDA Panel for the evaluation of all health claims and outlines a series of steps for the compilation of health claim applications.
Author: A. Bon. July 2015.
Article published : "Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Studies to Support a Quantitative Recommendation for Whole Grain Intake in Relation to Type 2 Diabetes"
This article describes a project performed in collaboration with Mondelēz International that aims at proposing a quantitative recommendation for the daily consumption of whole grains based on the analysis of the available scientific evidence. Indeed, due to the increasing evidence of their health benefits, whole grains are recommended for consumption worldwide. Such recommendations are, however, rarely quantitative, and therefore difficult to follow by consumers.
We considered published human studies in which whole grain intakes could be reasonably quantified and we performed a systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis on the relationship between whole grain consumption and the following health outcomes: overall mortality, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and associated risk factors. The article published in PLOS ONE on June 22nd describes the results related to type 2 diabetes.
Eight observational studies were included (all but one prospective), with a total of 15,573 cases of type 2 diabetes among 316,051 participants. We performed a dose-response meta-regression analysis between whole grain intake and type 2 diabetes occurrence, on the basis of the data extracted from these studies. This analysis demonstrated a significant linear inverse relationship between whole grain intake and type 2 diabetes occurrence (P<0.0001), with an overall absolute reduction of 0.3% in the type 2 diabetes rate for each additional 10 g of whole grain ingredient consumed daily. This model could be translated by saying that a population consuming three servings of whole grain foods (45 g of whole grain ingredients) would decrease its risk of type 2 diabetes by 20% as compared to consuming a half serving (7.5 g of whole grain ingredients). In several Western countries, the current average intake of whole grain ingredients is approximately 10 -15 g/d. Increasing the daily intake up to 45 g/d would therefore provide a significant health benefit in such populations by inducing a relative reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes of approximately 18%.
These results should be considered for future recommendations, by considering the actual whole grain intake of the concerned populations. They should also be complemented with data on the quantitative relationship between whole grain intakes and other health outcomes, such as the risk of cardiovascular diseases, for which similar analyses are ongoing in the frame of this project.
The full text of the article is available here: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0131377
Chanson-Rolle A, Meynier A, Aubin F, Lappi J, Poutanen K, Vinoy S, Braesco V. (2015) Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Studies to Support a Quantitative Recommendation for Whole Grain Intake in Relation to Type 2 Diabetes. PLoS ONE 10(6): e0131377. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0131377.
Author : A. Chanson-Rolle. June 2015.
ANSES : Report on nutrient profiling system
The French Food Safety Agency (ANSES) has published a report on the nutrient profiling system used in the UK to supervise the advertising to children. Pr Hercberg has proposed this system as a working basis to elaborate a system of colored logos on foods, according to their nutritional quality.
ANSES estimates that the use of this system is possible, but raises several points of concern, related in particular to the difficulty to obtain some information (fibre content and fruits & vegetable content) and to the lack of discriminatory power for some food categories.
ANSES also underlines that the nutritional relevance of the system has not been evaluated and that other existing systems deserved to be analysed.
Author: V. Braesco. June 2015.
Read the report.
Véronique Braesco's presentation - June 17th 2015
Following the « Public health » law, currently being adopted in France, food products may bear a logo, the characteristics of which will depend on their nutritional quality. The method used to define and qualify this nutritional quality are today a matter of intense discussions; one of them, initiated by the French Fund for Food and Health, happened on June 17th. Veronique Braesco was a participant and you can find her talk on this video (in French).
EFSA opinion on caffeine
In its opinion, the authority estimates acute and daily intakes of caffeine that raise no safety concerns for the general healthy population. The opinion also advises on the consumption of caffeine from all dietary sources in combination with physical exercise, and on the possible risks of consuming caffeine together with alcohol or with other substances found in so-called energy drinks.
The full EFSA opinion is available here : http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4102.htm
See also the corresponding EFSA press release here : http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/150527.htm
Author: A. Bon. June 2015.
Dietary reference values for calcium and iron
- As part of its ongoing work on Dietary Reference Values (DRVs), the EFSA has published its final scientific opinion on the DRVs for calcium.
The authority set the following daily population reference intakes (PRIs) for calcium:
The full scientific opinion is available at the following link: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/fr/efsajournal/pub/4101.htm
- The EFSA has also published a draft scientific opinion on the DRVs for iron.
As usual, the opinion has been made available for public consultation. The deadline to send comments is 19 July 2015. The publication of the final opinion will follow.
The draft scientific opinion for iron is available at the following link: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/fr/consultationsclosed/call/150526.htm
Author: A. Bon. May 2015.
Dietary reference values for magnesium
As part of its ongoing work on Dietary Reference Values (DRVs), the EFSA has published a draft scientific opinion on the DRVs for magnesium.
As usual, the opinion has been made available for public consultation. The deadline to send comments is 7 June 2015. The publication of the final opinion will follow.
The draft scientific opinion is available at the following link: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/fr/consultations/call/150511.pdf
Author: A. Bon. May 2015.
Source : http://www.efsa.europa.eu/fr/consultationsclosed/call/150511
Dietary reference values for vitamin A
As part of its ongoing work on Dietary Reference Values (DRVs), the EFSA has published its scientific opinion on the DRVs for vitamin A.
It set daily population reference intakes (PRIs) for vitamin A of:
The scientific opinion is available at the following link: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4028.htm
Author: A. Chanson-Rolle. March 2015.
Dietary reference values for vitamin E, cobalamin and phosphorus:
EFSA draft scientific opinions opened for consultation
As part of its ongoing work on Dietary Reference Values (DRVs), the EFSA has published draft scientific opinions on the DRVs for vitamin E, cobalamin and phosphorus.
As usual, the opinions have been made available for public consultation. The deadlines to send comments are April 13th and April 21st 2015. Publication of final opinions will follow.
More information at:
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/fr/consultations/call/150309.htm
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/fr/consultations/call/150310b.htm
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/fr/consultations/call/150310a.htm
Author: A Chanson-Rolle. March 2015.
EFSA statement on the risks and benefits of fish/seafood consumption
In a statement published on January 22nd 2015, the EFSA concluded that limiting consumption of fish species with a high methylmercury content was the most effective way to achieve the health benefits of fish whilst minimising the risks posed by excessive exposure to methylmercury.
EFSA recommends that each country needs to consider its own pattern of fish consumption, especially the species of fish consumed, and carefully assess the risk of exceeding safe levels of methylmercury while obtaining the health benefits of fish/seafood. This particularly applies to countries where fish/seafood species with a high mercury content – such as swordfish, pike, tuna and hake – are consumed regularly.
The EFSA statement is available here:
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/3982.htm?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20150128&utm_content=pub
See also the corresponding EFSA news story:
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/150122.htm?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20150128&utm_content=hl
Author: A Chanson-Rolle. February 2015.
EFSA upcoming programme disclosed
EFSA has published its programme of scientific, communication and corporate activities planned for 2015 and beyond. Key milestones in 2015 will be the adoption of around 400 scientific outputs, the renewal of membership of eight of the Authority’s Scientific Panels and its Scientific Committee, and the hosting of the second EFSA scientific conference in Milan (part of the EU contribution to EXPO 2015).
Major scientific work includes opinions on acrylamide and caffeine, the revision of the EU plant pest annexes, and the launch of a multi-disciplinary project on the risk assessment of stressors in bees. In addition to the annual data monitoring reports – on zoonoses, food-borne outbreaks, antimicrobial resistance, and pesticide residues – a new report on chemicals in food will be published.
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/150204.htm
Author: A Chanson-Rolle. February 2015.
EFSA’s revised guidance on health claims related to gut and immunity open for comments
EFSA has launched an open consultation on its updated draft Guidance on the scientific requirements for health claims related to the gastro-intestinal tract, the immune system, and defence against pathogenic micro-organisms. Interested parties are invited to submit written comments by 23 March 2015.
The revision takes into account the outcome of a public consultation on a discussion paper together with new scientific evidence available to the NDA Panel and the experience gained to date with the evaluation of health claim applications in the areas of the gastrointestinal tract, the immune system, and defence against pathogenic microorganisms.
Author: A Chanson-Rolle. February 2015.
EFSA opinion on Bisphenol A
As detailed in its scientific opinion published on January 21st 2015, the EFSA concluded that there was no health concern associated with bisphenol A (BPA) exposure for consumers of any age group (including unborn children, infants and adolescents) at current exposure levels.
According to the authority, exposure from the diet or from a combination of sources (diet, dust, cosmetics and thermal paper) is considerably under the safe level (the “tolerable daily intake” or TDI).
The full EFSA opinion is available here:
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/3978.htm?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20150121&utm_content=pub
See also the corresponding EFSA press release here:
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/150121.htm?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=feature&utm_campaign=20150121
Author: A Chanson-Rolle. February 2015.
Dietary reference values for calcium
As part of its ongoing work on Dietary Reference Values (DRVs), the EFSA has published a draft scientific opinion on the DRVs for calcium.
As usual, the opinion has been made available for public consultation. The deadline to send comments is 28 February 2015. The publication of the final opinion will follow.
The draft scientific opinion is available at the following link: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/consultations/call/150114.pdf
Author: A Chanson-Rolle. January 2015.
Source: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/consultations/call/150114.htm
EFSA: New positive opinion on an article 13.5 health claim
The claim is related to “native chicory inulin” and maintenance of normal defecation by increasing stool frequency. It had been submitted by BENEO-Orafti.
According to the EFSA opinion, the application described six clinical studies, involving 86 subjects in total, which consistently showed that consumption of “native chicory inulin” at an amount of at least 12 g/day increased stool frequency. There was also available information about the plausible mechanisms by which inulin and inulin-type fructans in “native chicory inulin” could exert the claimed effect.
The Panel concluded on this basis that a cause and effect relationship could be established between the consumption of “native chicory inulin” and maintenance of normal defecation by increasing stool frequency.
The panel acknowledged that the following wording would reflect the scientific evidence: “Chicory inulin contributes to maintenance of normal defecation by increasing stool frequency”. The EFSA recommended that in order to obtain the claimed effect, 12 g of “native chicory inulin” should be consumed daily.
This claim has now to be formerly authorized by the European Commission before it can be used within the EU.
The full opinion is available here:
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/3951.htm?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20150115&utm_content=pub
Author: A Chanson-Rolle. January 2015.
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