ID 823 -
Beta-glukany
PL: Beta-glukany
EN: Beta-glucan
Pdf: various food(s)/food constituent(s)
1. Charakterystyka żywności / składnika
The food constituent that is the subject of the health claims are beta-glucans, which are soluble cereal fibres. Beta-glucans are non-starch polysaccharides composed of glucose molecules in long linear glucose polymers with mixed β-(1→4) and β-(1→3) links with an approximate distribution of 70% to 30%. The molecular weight varies between 50 and 2000 kDa. Beta-glucans occur naturally in the bran of cereal grasses such as barley (~7 %), oats (~5 %), rye and wheat (1-2 %) and are measurable in foods by established methods. This opinion applies to beta-glucans naturally present in foods and those forms added to foods.
The mixed linkages are important for the physical properties, such as solubility and viscosity. The viscosity is a function of the concentration of dissolved beta-glucans and of its molecular weight (Wood et al, 2000) and further depends on differences in raw materials, processing and methods of determination.
The Panel considers that the food constituent, beta-glucans, that is the subject of the health claim is sufficiently characterised.
2.2. Osiąganie lub utrzymywanie prawidłowej masy ciała (ID 820, 823)
The claimed effect is “weight control”. The Panel assumes that the target population is the general population.
Weight control can be interpreted as the contribution to the maintenance and/or achievement of a normal body weight. In this context even a moderate weight loss in overweight subjects without achieving a normal body weight is considered beneficial to health.
The Panel considers that maintenance or achievement of a normal body weight is beneficial to human health.
3.2. Osiąganie lub utrzymywanie prawidłowej masy ciała (ID 820, 823)
A total of 77 references were cited for the substantiation of the claimed effect. Most references related to the association between the consumption of dietary fibre (either general or specific types of fibres other than beta-glucan) and different measures of satiety. Only a few studies on the consumption of oat or barley products and subsequent measures of satiety were presented (Berti et al, 2005; Granfeldt et al, 1994; Holt et al, 1995; Lilleberg et al, 1999). None of the references presented addressed the effects of beta-glucan consumption on body weight.
The Panels concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of beta-glucans and the maintenance or achievement of a normal body weight.
Warunki i możliwe ograniczenia stosowania oświadczenia
Bakery products with ≥3g/100g of beta-glucan of oat grain fibre
Processing of the product does not influence presenting health claims relating to weight control, only the amount of beta-glucan fibre is significant.
