Guidance on the scientific requirements for health claims related to gut and immune function

EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA)

doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2011.1984

Cited by 99Consumer Attitudes and Food LabelingProbiotics and Fermented FoodsMicrobial Metabolites in Food Biotechnology

Guidance on the scientific requirements for health claims related to gut and immune function

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EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA)·2011·EFSA Journal

DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2011.1984PMC PMC13129607

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Abstract

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) asked the Panel on Dietetic Products Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) to draft guidance on scientific requirements for health claims related to gut and immune function.This guidance has been drawn from scientific opinions of the NDA Panel on such health claims.Thus, this guidance document represents the views of the NDA Panel based on the experience gained to date with the evaluation of health claims in these areas.It is not intended that the document will include an exhaustive list of beneficial effects and studies/outcome measures which are acceptable.Rather, it presents examples drawn from evaluations already carried out to illustrate the approach of the Panel, as well as some examples which are currently under consideration within ongoing evaluations.A draft of this guidance document, endorsed by the NDA Panel on 10 September 2010, was subjected to public consultation (

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It can be a challenge to distinguish patients with IBS from healthy people with similar GI symptoms, as healthy people may have the same complaints, only less frequently and less severe.
“It can be a challenge to distinguish patients with IBS from healthy people with similar GI symptoms, as healthy people may have the same complaints, only less frequently and less severe( 8 , 13 , 14 ).”
From Effect of the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis , BB-12 ® , on defecation frequency in healthy subjects with low defecation frequency and abdominal discomfort: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial (2015) · cites this paper as [14]

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Guidance on the scientific requirements for health claims related to the immune system, the gastrointestinal tract and defence against pathogenic microorganisms.
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Authors: EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, N. A. A. (.
Affiliations: Technical University of Denmark (DK)
Corresponding author: EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA)
Venue: EFSA Journal
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2011-04
Volume: 9
Issue: 4
Pages: 1984-1984
ISSN: 1831-4732 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2011.1984
PMC: PMC13129607
OpenAlex: W2914360463
Cited by: 99
References: 0
Citations by year: 2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 9
FWCI: 11.64
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: gold
doi.org
Licence: cc-by-nd
doi.wiley.com/10.1002/tdm_license_1 (tdm, 1614 d)
Locations: EFSA Journal (publishedVersion, cc-by-nd)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics: Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling
Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Probiotics and Fermented Foods
Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Microbial Metabolites in Food Biotechnology
Keywords: health claims, gastrointestinal function, immune function, scientific requirements, gut microbiota

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Guidance on the scientific requirements for health claims related to gut and immune function

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