Industry fears a rash of health claims rejections

Fears that the number of health claims permitted in the EU could be slashed under new legislation have risen as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) rejected another application many industry observers believed was a shoe-in.

In a submission under article 14 of the EU Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation, Ocean Spray proposed that cranberry proanthocyanidins helped "reduce the risk of urinary tract infection (UTI) in women by inhibiting the adhesion of certain bacteria in the urinary tract"

However, its application was rejected on the grounds that half of the 12 studies it submitted as evidence were on children or patients with bladder or other health problems, so were not relevant to the claim. One used a dosage far higher than that proposed in the application, while the remaining five studies had "significant limitations"

EFSA's conclusion has surprised many experts given that a recent Cochrane review found there was evidence cranberry juice "may decrease the number of symptomatic UTIs over a 12 month period"

Jared Konstanty, md of Ocean Spray EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) said: "For the future we need to ensure our clinical studies are carried out to meet EFSA's exact requirements."