EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to foods with reduced lactose content and decreasing gastro-intestinal discomfort caused by lactose intake in lactose intolerant individuals (ID 646, 1224, 1238, 1339) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

摘要

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to provide a scientific opinion on a list of health claims pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. This opinion addresses the scientific substantiation of health claims in relation to foods with reduced lactose content and decreasing gastro-intestinal discomfort caused by lactose intake in lactose intolerant individuals. The scientific substantiation is based on the information provided by the Member States in the consolidated list of Article 13 health claims and references that EFSA has received from Member States or directly from stakeholders. The food constituent that is the subject of the health claim is lactose, which should be “decreased” or “reduced” in foods in order to obtain the claimed effect. The Panel considers that lactose is sufficiently characterised. The claimed effects are “lactose intolerance”, “decrease lactose malabsorption symptoms” and “lactose digestion”. The target population is assumed to be lactose intolerant individuals. The Panel assumes that the claimed effects refer to decreasing gastro-intestinal discomfort caused by lactose intake in lactose intolerant individuals. The Panel considers that decreasing gastro-intestinal discomfort caused by lactose intake in lactose intolerant individuals is a beneficial physiological effect for lactose intolerant individuals. Symptoms of lactose intolerance, which may develop one to three hours after lactase-deficient and lactose intolerant individuals ingest lactose in food, include abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence and diarrhoea. The only satisfactory dietary measure in lactose intolerance is a diet with reduced lactose content and with individuals adapting their lactose consumption to their individual tolerance. The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has been established between the consumption of lactose in amounts exceeding individual tolerances and the occurrence of symptoms of lactose intolerance in lactose intolerant individuals, and that consumption of foods with reduced lactose content may help to decrease gastro-intestinal discomfort caused by lactose intake in lactose intolerant individuals. The Panel considers that no single condition of use can be set because of the great variation in individual tolerances to lactose of lactose intolerant individuals.