ID 4276 - Kakao

PL: Kakao
EN: Theobroma cacao
Pdf: caffeine

1. Charakterystyka żywności / składnika

The food that is the subject of the health claim is cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.).
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) contains a wide and variable range of potentially active compounds such as various amines (e.g. tyramine and phenylethylamine), methylxanthines (e.g. caffeine and theobromine), or cannabinoid-like fatty acids (Bruinsma and Taren, 1999). From the references provided, the Panel notes that the methylxanthines caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) and theobromine (3,7-dimethylxanthine) have been proposed as the “active” food constituents responsible for the claimed effect considered in this opinion. Caffeine and theobromine are well defined compounds which can be measured in foods by established methods.
The Panel considers that whereas the food, cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), is not sufficiently characterised in relation to the claimed effect evaluated in this opinion, the food constituents, caffeine and theobromine in cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), are sufficiently characterised.

2. Znaczenie oświadczenia dla zdrowia człowieka

The claimed effect is “maintenance of a normal mental health (well-being feeling, relaxation)”. The Panel assumes that the target population is the general population.
In the context of the proposed wordings, the Panel assumes that the claimed effect refers to enhancement of mood.
The Panel considers that enhancement of mood might be a beneficial physiological effect.

3. Naukowe uzasadnienia wpływu na zdrowie człowieka - Poprawa nastroju

Among the references provided to substantiate the claim were narrative reviews on chocolate and related substances which did not provide original data for the scientific substantiation of the claim, and a reference on the molecular mechanisms of the effects of cocoa on lipid metabolism and triacylglycerol accumulation in rats fed high-fat diets. Two abstracts did not provide sufficient details
for a full scientific evaluation, and for one reference, provided in Japanese, no translation into an EU language was available to the Panel. The Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from these references for the scientific substantiation of the claim.
One reference (Smit et al., 2004) reported on two randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies on the effects of methylxanthines (caffeine and theobromine) on mood. The first study tested two treatments containing identical amounts of methylxanthines (19 mg caffeine and 250 mg theobromine) in capsules, either as cocoa powder (11.5 g, treatment 1) or as pure compounds (treatment 2), against placebo (microcrystalline cellulose). Participants were required to abstain from any caffeine or cocoa/chocolate-containing drink or food from 21.00 hours the previous evening, and underwent four test sessions (two placebo sessions, treatment 1 and treatment 2). Each test session involved the completion of a pre-test (baseline) and two post-test sets of tasks at 1 and 2 h after receiving the treatment. Each set of tasks comprised a 25-item mood questionnaire, which was developed partly from the Profile of Mood States (POMS) bipolar form and from the short form of the activation-deactivation adjective list. The mood questionnaire consisted of several descriptors of alerting and energising effects, aspects of positive and negative affect, and tension related moods, a measure of “overall mood”, and “hungry” and “thirsty”. Then the intensity of several subjective “bodily sensations” (such as “headache”, “heart pounding”, “nausea”, and “chills”) was rated. All scales were 100 mm anchored visual-analogue scales. Of the 27 subjects recruited, 20 (17 women) completed the study. The Panel notes that the factors resulting from the principal component analysis of the mood questionnaire incorporated both negative and positive mood constructs within the same factor, which cannot be interpreted with respect to enhancement of mood. The Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from this study for the scientific substantiation of the claim.
In the second study by the same authors (Smit et al., 2004), visually identical 60 g portions of chocolate were prepared to contain 8 mg caffeine and 100 mg theobromine, 20 mg caffeine and 250 mg theobromine, or no methylxanthines (placebo). The two interventions and the placebo corresponded to the amounts of methylxanthines present in standard portions of milk, dark and white chocolate, respectively. Mood was assessed with the same questionnaire as in the previous study. Of the 29 participants recruited, 22 (11 women) completed the study. The Panel notes that the factors resulting from the principal component analysis of the mood questionnaire incorporated both negative and positive mood constructs within the same factor, which cannot be interpreted with respect to enhancement of mood. The Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from this study for the scientific substantiation of the claim.
The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of caffeine and theobromine in cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) and enhancement of mood.

Warunki i możliwe ograniczenia stosowania oświadczenia

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