ID 1873 -
Name of Food product: Product-specific claim: sodium alginate and ulva
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: No
PL:
EN: Name of Food product: Product-specific claim: sodium alginate and ulva
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: No
Pdf:
1.2. Sodium alginate and ulva (ID 1873)
The food constituents that are the subject of the claim are sodium alginate and ulva related to the following claimed effect: "alginate and ulva bind toxins, mutagens and heavy metals, they can also stimulate and increase colonic mucin production and thicken the colonic mucosa and protect the colon from harmful substances".
Sodium alginate is the sodium salt of alginic acid. Sodium alginate is extracted from the cell walls of brown algae. It is used as a thickener and emulsifier, and it is authorised for use as a food additive7. Alginate is an anionic polysaccharide, a linear copolymer with homopolymeric blocks of (1-4)-linked β-D-mannuronate (M) and its epimer α-glucuronate (G) residues, which are linked covalently in different sequences. Commercial varieties of sodium alginate are extracted from Marocystis pyrifera, Ascophyllum nodosum and various types of Laminaria. Different sources yield alginates that differ in monomeric composition and block structure, and a given alginate has its own characteristic calcium reactivity and gelation properties. Alginates are usually referred to as high M or high G, depending on the proportions of M and G they contain. The references provided did not allow an identification of the monomeric composition and block structure of the specific sodium alginate that is the subject of the claim.
Ulva is a group of edible green algae. Several species of ulva exist worldwide and the species that is the subject of the health claim has not been specified in the information provided.
The references provided reported on the use of Ulva ohnoi Hiraoka & Shimada, Ulva reticulata Forsskål and Ulva fasciata Delile, as well as ulvan, a sulphated algal polymer extracted from the Ulva species, which did not allow determining the specific ulva species, or the specific preparation of ulva, which is the subject of the claim.
The Panel considers that the food constituents, sodium alginate and ulva, which are the subject of the claim, are not sufficiently characterised in relation to the claimed effect considered in this section.
The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship cannot be established between the consumption of sodium alginate and ulva and the claimed effect 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:
Presence of a nutrient or other substance
Number of nutrients/other substances that are essential to claimed effect: 2
Names of nutrient/other substances and Quantity in Average daily serving: 5 grams Sodium alginate, 5 grams ulva
Weight of average daily food serving: 150 mililitre(s)
Daily amount to be consumed to produce claimed effect: 450 mililitre(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: 2-4 weeks
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: .01
Saturated Fat: .00
Trans Fat: .00
Sugar: .31
Salt: .00
Sodium: .01
Other conditions for use: This beverage should be consumed as part of a varied, balanced and healthy lifestyle. Three beverages are to be consumed daily in order to gain benefit. The entire beverage must be consumed. This product should be avoided by pregnant, lactating women and children and those with calcium deficiency or brittle bones.