July 21/Parma, Italy/European Food Safety Authority -- The European Food Safety Authority evaluated a proposed claim for a probiotic in children and reached the following conclusion:

Following an application from Centro Sperimentale del Latte S.p.A. (CSL), submitted pursuant to article 14 of regulation (ec) no 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of Italy, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to a combination of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus AY/CSL (LMG P-17224) and Streptococcus thermophilus 9Y/CSL (LMG P-17225) and “beneficial modulation of intestinal microflora.”

The scope of the application was proposed to fall under a health claim referring to children’s development and health.

The food constituent that was the subject of the health claim, a combination of L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus AY/CSL (LMG P-17224) and S. thermophilus 9Y/CSL (LMG P-17225), had not been sufficiently characterized. The claimed effect is “beneficial modulation of the intestinal microflora.” The target population, as proposed by the applicant, is children from 3 months to 14 years old. No evidence has been provided by the applicant to establish that the claimed effect, “beneficial modulation of the intestinal microflora,” is a beneficial physiological effect. The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of the food constituent, the combination of L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus AY/CSL (LMG P-17224) and S. thermophilus 9Y/CSL (LMG P-17225), and a beneficial physiological effect related to “beneficial modulation of the intestinal microflora.”

From the July 21, 2011, Prepared Foods' Daily News.