Disease reduction claim submissions a ‘tactical error’

Companies submitting disease risk reduction health claims for consideration by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) under the article 14 list are wasting their time.

That’s according to the boss of a company waiting to hear whether it has been successful with two claims it has submitted under the more generic article 13 health claims.

Richard Wood, chief executive of Coressence, which has submitted health claims to EFSA related to the its apple derived epicatechin polyphenol called Evesse (a type of flavanol or more correctly flavan-3-ol), claimed: “Submitting an article 14 claim at the moment is a severe tactical error, because you have to prove disease reduction. It’s almost an impossible thing to do and maintain it as a food.”

Of the nine applications under article 14 published to date, eight have been rejected​.

The two health claims submitted to EFSA by Coressence relate to claimed benefits of its apple derived flav-3-ol product in maintaining healthy blood circulation and secondly in maintaining cognitive health.

According to dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton: “There is excellent evidence for the flavanol [cardiovascular disease (CVD) reduction] story.”

Ruxton, who sits together with representatives from the Norwich-based Institute of Food Research (IFR) and other experts on a scientific panel set up by Coressence to scrutinise the scientific rigour of its activities, said: “There is a 28% overall [CVD] risk reduction when populations have a high intake of flavanols.”

Despite “increasing evidence to show epicatechin does increase brain blood flow”, Wood accepted that EFSA might still reject Coressence’s cognitive health claim. “We would classify brain health as an emerging health area. If rejected we don’t see that as the end of the game here.” Ruxton concurred with the “emerging science behind blood flow cognitive benefits”

Evesse is expected to have applications both in freeze-dried granular form, blended with cereals and cereal bars and in a juice form suitable for adding to drinks. “We expect it to go into a variety of cereals and muesli bars over the next year or so because there are no constraints [on its use] at all,” said Wood.

Coressence recently signed an Evesse licensing deal with Dansico​ on developing products for the food ingredients market. “We are currently developing some second generation technology products for them, all of which can be added to food based products,” said Wood.

Wood also reported that unpublished results of trials carried out at IFR in which Evesse was added to fresh fruit juice revealed that vascular dilatation occurred in young healthy individuals. More studies are planned with Dansico in this area over the next year or so. Coressence is also looking for other juice companies with which to partner.