ID 347 -
Argile verte
PL:
EN: Argile verte
Pdf:
1.11. Green clay (ID 347, 1952)
The food constituent that is the subject of the claims is green clay related to the following claimed effect: reduction of gastro-intestinal discomfort.
The term ―clay‖ is an ambiguous geological term and has multiple meanings: a group of fine grained minerals (clay minerals), a particle size (smaller than silt), or a type of rock (sedimentary deposits of fine-grained material usually composed largely of various clay minerals). In the latter definition, clay also includes fine-grained deposits of non-aluminosilicates (such as shale and non argillaceous soils) (WHO, 2005). In mineralogical definitions, clay minerals are composed of crystals less than 2 μm in diameter.
Clays may be composed of different minerals, e.g. montmorillonite, beidellite, biotite, saponite, sauconite, kaolinite, bentonite, illite and sepiolite. The colour is not of great utility in defining clays: it mainly depends upon the content and form of the iron present. Green clays comprise minerals that differ by their composition, mineral structure, or geological occurrence (Velde, 2004).
Several factors could determine the extent of clays’ adsorption properties, e.g. the chemistry of the clay minerals, exchangeable ions, the surface properties and the fine structure of clay particles (Williams et al., 2008).
In relation to ID 347, the references provided were text books and general reviews not related to the food constituent which is the subject of the claim, but rather to magnesium or other micronutrients. No information was provided allowing the characterisation of green clay in relation to the claimed effect.
In relation to ID 1952, the five references cited which addressed outcomes related to gastro-intestinal discomfort included the use of dioctahedral smectite (Chang et al., 2007; Guarino et al., 2001) or of beidellitic montmorillonite (Bedelix) (Bigard and Gilbert, 1990; Ducrotte et al., 2005; Meknini and Bernardes, 1994). The Panel notes that different types of green clays were used in the references provided, and that the conditions of use did not specify the green clay which is the subject of the health claim. The Panel notes that the conditions of use and the references provided do not allow the characterisation of the food constituent which is the subject of the claim.
The Panel considers that the food constituent, green clay, which is the subject of the claim, is 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 green clay and the claimed effect considered in this section.
Warunki i możliwe ograniczenia stosowania oświadczenia
9g/jour
