ID 2373 - Likopen

PL: Likopen
EN: Lycopene
Pdf: lycopene

Oświadczenie (2)

1. Charakterystyka żywności / składnika

The food constituent that is the subject of the health claims is lycopene (psi, psi-carotene).
Lycopene is a well recognised dietary constituent and is measurable in foods, blood and tissues by established methods. Major dietary sources of lycopene are tomatoes and tomato products. Lycopene is also the natural red colorant of water melons, pink grapefruit and rose hips. Dietary sources of lycopene, or lycopene preparations from natural sources, usually contain other food constituents (e.g. other carotenoids and/or polyphenols) which may contribute to the claimed effects. Synthetic lycopene has recently been authorised in the EU as a novel food ingredient6. The present opinion applies to lycopene from all sources with appropriate bioavailability in the specified amounts.
The Panel considers that the food constituent, lycopene, which is the subject of the health claims, is sufficiently characterised.

2.2. Ochrona skóry przed uszkodzeniem promieniami ultrafioletowymi (UV) (ID 1259, 1607, 1665, 2143, 2262, 2373)

The claimed effects are “skin health”, “maintains skin health”, and “for skin health”. The Panel assumes that the target population is the general population.
In the context of the proposed wordings and clarifications provided by Member States, the Panel assumes that the claimed effects refer to the protection of the skin from UV-induced damage, including photo-oxidative damage.
The Panel considers that protection of the skin from UV-induced (including photo-oxidative) damage is a beneficial physiological effect.

3.2. Ochrona skóry przed uszkodzeniem promieniami ultrafioletowymi (UV) (ID 1259, 1607, 1665, 2143, 2262, 2373)

A number of the references provided were narrative reviews or consensus opinions on the health effects of lycopene which did not allow evaluation of original data, or reports on intervention studies which assessed the effects of other carotenoids or antioxidant vitamins, either alone or in combination with lycopene, on health outcomes unrelated to the claimed effect. The Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from these references for the scientific substantiation of the claimed effect.
Among the references provided, three reported on human intervention studies on the effects of lycopene on measures of UV-induced damage to the skin (Aust et al., 2005; Stahl et al., 2001; 2006).
The study by Aust et al. (2005) was an uncontrolled intervention where the effects of synthetic (pure) lycopene were compared to those of lycopene in a tomato extract. The Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from this study for the scientific substantiation of the claimed effect.
Stahl et al. (2001) reported on a controlled, non-blinded human study with lycopene from tomato paste in 22 healthy adults (26-67 years; 14 female), skin type II, over a period of 10 weeks. The verum group (n=9 finished) consumed 40 g tomato paste with 10 g of olive oil per day providing 16 mg/day of lycopene; controls (n=10 finished) received olive oil only. At day 0, and at 4 and 10 weeks, serum lycopene and skin carotenoid concentrations were measured. Erythema formation (skin reddening) in response to 1.25 minimal erythemal dose (MED) was measured at the same time by chromametry. Serum concentrations of lycopene and skin carotenoids significantly increased in supplemented subjects. At week 10, erythema formation significantly decreased in the group which consumed tomato paste compared to controls, whereas no significant difference between groups was found at week 4 of the intervention. The Panel notes the small number of subjects recruited and that the study was not blinded. The Panel also notes that UV-induced erythema (sunburn or skin reddening) is a primary reaction of the skin following overexposure to UV (sun)light, and that it represents an inflammatory response of cutaneous tissue as a consequence of light-dependent molecular and cellular damage. However, whereas a reduction in skin erythema may indicate a reduction in UV-induced skin damage, it can also reflect a reduction in the capacity of the skin to react to molecular and cellular damage, and the data provided in this study did not allow such effects to be distinguished. The Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from this study for the scientific substantiation of the claimed effect.
The review by Stahl et al. (2006) reported on the studies by Stahl et al. (2001) and Aust et al. (2005), and presented data from a non-controlled intervention with a lycopene-rich carrot juice. The juice contained considerable amounts of beta-carotene (10 mg lycopene plus 5 mg beta-carotene/day). The Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from this reference for the scientific substantiation of the claimed effect.
The Panel notes that none of the studies provided addressed the effects of lycopene consumption on reliable markers of UV-induced (including photo-oxidative) damage to the skin.
The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of lycopene and protection of the skin from UV-induced (including photo-oxidative) damage.

Warunki i możliwe ograniczenia stosowania oświadczenia

Minimum 6 mg lycopene in the daily portion of the product