ID 1362 -
Name of Food product: Brocco Shoots
Description of food in terms of food legislation categories: food not covered by specific food legislation
Was food on Irish market before 1st July 2007: Yes
PL:
EN: Name of Food product: Brocco Shoots
Description of food in terms of food legislation categories: food not covered by specific food legislation
Was food on Irish market before 1st July 2007: Yes
Pdf:
1.8. “Brocco shoots”, “broccoli sprout powder” and “Brassica oleracea var. italica (broccoli)” (ID 1362, 1481, 2844, 2845)
The foods that are the subject of the health claims are “brocco shoots”, “broccoli sprout powder” and “Brassica oleracea var. italica (broccoli)” related to the following claimed effect protection of cells and molecules, including cells of the immune system, from oxidative damage.
Broccoli is the common name of the Italica cultivar group of the Brassica oleracea species in the Brassicaceae (belonging to Cruciferae) family, whose large flower head is used as a vegetable. Broccoli sprouts are 3-4 day old broccoli plants. Different varieties of Brassica oleracea Italica (e.g. sprouting broccoli, purple cauliflower, orange cauliflower and green cauliflower), some of which are produced by selective breeding, are available on the market.
The nutritional composition of broccoli flowers and sprouts depends on a variety of factors, including climate, season, horticultural practices, and the variety and age of the plant.
The Panel notes that for ID 2845 the conditions of use refer to sulphoraphane, but no references on sulphoraphane in broccoli have been provided in relation to the claimed effect. The Panel also notes that ID 2844 and 2845 specify in the conditions of use “broccoli seed or sprout or vegetable extract equivalent to 30 mg of glucoraphanin per day”. Glucoraphanin is a glucosinolate found in vegetables of the Brassicaceae family which can be hydrolysed to the isothiocyanate sulforaphane.
The vast majority of the references provided for the scientific substantiation of these claims were animal and in vitro studies which addressed the effects of glucosinolates (including glucoraphanin) or its isothiocyanate metabolites, sulforaphane, (and its N-acetylcysteine conjugates), sulforaphane nitrile and/or phenethyl-, allyl- or benzyl-isothiocyanate on cancer-related outcomes which are unrelated to the claimed effects considered in this section, or addressed the composition of different cruciferous vegetables in relation to these compounds. The few human studies provided (mostly epidemiological observations) investigated the association between consumption of cruciferous vegetables (including broccoli) and the urinary excretion of isothiocyanates and cancer-related outcomes. One human intervention study on the acute effects of one-week consumption of broccoli sprouts, for which no characterisation was available, on markers of oxidative stress (Murashima et al., 2004), and one human intervention study on the effects of 4-week consumption of Brassica vegetables in general on markers of oxidative stress were also provided. From the information provided in relation to the claims evaluated in this section, the foods which are the subject of the claim were not sufficiently characterised in relation to the claimed effect.
The Panel considers that the foods, “brocco shoots”, “broccoli sprout powder” and “Brassica oleracea var. italica (broccoli)”, which are the subject of the claims, are not sufficiently characterised in relation to the claimed effects considered in this section.
The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship cannot be established between the consumption of “brocco shoots”, “broccoli sprout powder” and “Brassica oleracea var. italica (broccoli)” and the claimed effects considered in this section.
Warunki i możliwe ograniczenia stosowania oświadczenia
Does claim rely on the presence/presence in a reduced quantity/absence of a nutrient or other substance:
NA
Weight of average daily food serving: 20 gram(s)
Daily amount to be consumed to produce claimed effect: 20 gram(s)
Number of food portions this equates to in everyday food portions: 1
Are there factors that could interfere with bioavailability: No
Length of time after consumption for claimed effect to become apparent: It is apparent after a period of regular use.
Number of days: 30
Is there a limit to the amount of food which should be consumed in order to avoid adverse health effects: No
Where applicable outline nutritional composition (g per 100g) of food:
Total Fat: 1.69
Saturated Fat: .49
Trans Fat: .00
Sugar: 1.36
Salt: .00
Sodium: .02