First Probiotic Health Claim Approved in Europe. Is EU Approval Next?

DuPont is now the first ingredient company with a probiotic health claim in Europe, the company announced yesterday. Switzerland’s Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office approved a claim for DuPont Danisco’s Howaru Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 strain for supporting digestive health.

Specifically, Howaru Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 improves regularity by reducing transit time-meaning that it cuts down the amount of time required to excrete food once consumed.

Is this Switzerland claim a step in the right direction to an EU-wide health claim? With the EU European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) continuing to reject probiotic claims-a point of severe frustration for many probiotic marketers and ingredient suppliers-DuPont certainly hopes so. The company says it is continuing its endeavors for an EU claim.

“Despite the regulatory challenges in Europe, DuPont continues to deliver scientifically proven data on the efficacy of our probiotics,” says Peggy Steele, global business director, food and beverage probiotics, DuPont Nutrition & Health. “DuPont now has a positive claim within Switzerland, and we hope to soon have a broader positive claim within the EU.”

Where EFSA is concerned, DuPont “has carefully studied EFSA’s position on health claims and has worked proactively to develop new science to support our claims,” says Steele. “At the same time, we have accelerated our studies in an effort to generate science that meets EFSA’s guidelines/criteria.”

DuPont is hoping this will be a win all around. “The Swiss authority approval is a good signal on the quality of our dossier for Howaru Bifido HN019,” says Steele.