Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to
Lactobacillus plantarum BFE 1685 and “natural defences/immune system”
(ID 993) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006[sup]1[/sup]
EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA)2, 3
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, Italy
Słowa kluczowe:
Lactobacillus plantarum BFE 1685
health claims
immune system
1. Charakterystyka żywności / składnika
The food constituent that is the subject of the health claim is Lactobacillus plantarum BFE 1685.
The identity and characteristics of the strain Lactobacillus plantarum BFE 1685 have been determined using phenotypic and genotypic methods (Vizoso Pinto et al., 2006).
No indication of the deposition of the strain in an internationally recognised culture collection was found in the information provided or in the literature.
The Panel considers that the food constituent, Lactobacillus plantarum BFE 1685, which is the subject of the health claim, is sufficiently characterised.
2. Znaczenie oświadczenia dla zdrowia człowieka
2.1. Naturalna obrona organizmu, system immunologiczny (ID 993)
The claimed effect is “natural defences/immune system”. The Panel assumes that the target population is the general population.
The claimed effect is not sufficiently defined and no further details were given in the proposed wording or the clarifications provided by Member States. Given the multiple roles of the immune system, the specific aspect of immune function that is the subject of the claim needs to be specified, but it has not been indicated in the information provided. The Panel notes that several effects/parameters were mentioned in the information provided (e.g. related to adhesion properties of the bacterial strains, to technological features and functional characteristics of “probiotic” strains, to effects on monocyte-derived dendritic cells from patients allergic to house dust mite, to the cytokine-inducing pattern of lactic bacteria, to anti-inflammatory properties using the murine induced colitis model, to bacterial translocation using the mouse colitis model, and to identification and characterisation aspects of bacterial strains) and that it was not possible to establish which specific effect is the target for the claim.
The Panel considers that the claimed effect is general and non-specific, and does not refer to any specific health claim as required by Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
Wnioski
On the basis of the data presented, the Panel concludes that:
The food constituent, Lactobacillus plantarum BFE 1685, which is the subject of the health claim, is sufficiently characterised.
The claimed effect is “natural defences/immune system”. The target population is assumed to be the general population.
The claimed effect is general and non-specific, and does not refer to any specific health claim as required by Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
