The door is not yet closed on suppliers who want to make health claims regarding probiotic ingredients, despite last week's ruling by EU scientists that they had not proved their case.
Rather than putting the kybosh on manufacturers' bids to promote probiotics as a positive factor in promoting 'gut health', UK producers said the verdict from the European Food Safety Authority was a positive move because it gave them time to develop and improve their case.
The EFSA declared the evidence the food and drink industry submitted to support claims that additives could strengthen the body's defences and improve immune functions was either too general and thus inadmissible or simply failed to prove that they had the claimed effect.
However, it has now emerged that the EFSA will conduct a 'gut and immune health workshop' on 2 December, in which it aims to make clear what evidence suppliers will need to provide if health claims are to be substantiated.
A spokesman for Danone, which withdrew applications for its Actimel and Activia brands in April claiming it was waiting for more clarification from the EFSA, confirmed that it would be attending the workshop and expected to receive that clarification.
"Danone has always supported the principle of European regulations, but the process is complex," he said. "The EFSA has not yet completed its review of all probiotic products and Danone remains fully confident of the science backing its products."
Dairy UK communications director Simon Bates told The Grocer the dairy sector's focus would now be "to develop supporting evidence that specifically meets the EFSA evaluation process".
The EFSA now has until the end of June 2011 to publish its final findings on claims submitted by manufacturers, apart from those relating to 'botanicals' such as aloe vera, echinacea and ginseng. The EC will follow up with legislation governing exactly what manufacturers can and can't say when marketing products.
Rather than putting the kybosh on manufacturers' bids to promote probiotics as a positive factor in promoting 'gut health', UK producers said the verdict from the European Food Safety Authority was a positive move because it gave them time to develop and improve their case.
The EFSA declared the evidence the food and drink industry submitted to support claims that additives could strengthen the body's defences and improve immune functions was either too general and thus inadmissible or simply failed to prove that they had the claimed effect.
However, it has now emerged that the EFSA will conduct a 'gut and immune health workshop' on 2 December, in which it aims to make clear what evidence suppliers will need to provide if health claims are to be substantiated.
A spokesman for Danone, which withdrew applications for its Actimel and Activia brands in April claiming it was waiting for more clarification from the EFSA, confirmed that it would be attending the workshop and expected to receive that clarification.
"Danone has always supported the principle of European regulations, but the process is complex," he said. "The EFSA has not yet completed its review of all probiotic products and Danone remains fully confident of the science backing its products."
Dairy UK communications director Simon Bates told The Grocer the dairy sector's focus would now be "to develop supporting evidence that specifically meets the EFSA evaluation process".
The EFSA now has until the end of June 2011 to publish its final findings on claims submitted by manufacturers, apart from those relating to 'botanicals' such as aloe vera, echinacea and ginseng. The EC will follow up with legislation governing exactly what manufacturers can and can't say when marketing products.
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