(03-03-15) Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to DHA and contribution to normal brain development

Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to DHA and contribution to normal brain development pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006




  EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) Panel Members Carlo Agostoni, Roberto Berni Canani, Susan Fairweather-Tait, Marina Heinonen, Hannu Korhonen, Sébastien La Vieille, Rosangela Marchelli, Ambroise Martin, Androniki Naska, Monika Neuhäuser-Berthold, Gra¿yna Nowicka, Yolanda Sanz, Alfonso Siani, Anders Sjödin, Martin Stern, Sean (J.J.) Strain, Inge Tetens, Daniel Tomé, Dominique Turck and Hans Verhagen. Acknowledgment The Panel wishes to thank the members of the Working Group on Claims: Carlo Agostoni, Jean-Louis Bresson, Susan Fairweather-Tait, Marina Heinonen, Ambroise Martin, Hildegard Przyrembel, Yolanda Sanz, Alfonso Siani, Anders Sjödin, Inge Tetens, Hendrik Van Loveren, Hans Verhagen and Peter Willatts for the preparatory work on this scientific opinion. Possible conflict of interest One member of the Panel did not participate in the discussion on the subject referred to above because of potential conflicts of interest identified in accordance with the EFSA policy on declarations of interests.

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Type: Opinion of the Scientific Committee/Scientific Panel On request from: Member State - United Kingdom Question number: EFSA-Q-2014-00059 Adopted: 18 September 2014 Published: 08 October 2014 Affiliation: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, Italy

Abstract
Following an application from DSM Nutritional Products, submitted for authorisation of a health claim pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of the United Kingdom, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and contribution to normal brain development. The Panel considers that DHA is sufficiently characterised, and that contribution to normal brain development is a beneficial physiological effect for infants and children. The Panel has already assessed a claim on DHA and maintenance of normal brain function with a favourable outcome. The Panel noted the well-established role of DHA in brain function. The Panel considers that the role of DHA in normal brain function applies to all ages, including brain development in infants and children. The Panel also notes that the developing brain accumulates large amounts of DHA, particularly during the first two years of life, but also later and throughout childhood. The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has been established between the consumption of DHA and contribution to normal brain development. The following wording reflects the scientific evidence: “DHA contributes to normal brain development”. In order to bear the claim, foods for older infants and young children below the age of 24 months should provide a daily intake of 100 mg DHA in one or more servings, while foods for children from 2 to 18 years should provide a daily intake of 250 mg DHA in one or more servings.
© European Food Safety Authority,2014
Summary
Following an application from DSM Nutritional Products, submitted for authorisation of a health claim pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, via the Competent Authority of the United Kingdom, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and contribution to normal brain development.
The scope of the application was proposed to fall under a health claim referring to children’s development and health.
The food that is the subject of the health claim is DHA (22:6 n-3), which is a well-characterised n-3 long-chain fatty acid that can be quantified in foods by established methods. This evaluation applies to all sources of DHA in the specified amounts. The Panel considers that DHA is sufficiently characterised.
The claimed effect proposed by the applicant is “contributes to brain development”. The target population proposed by the applicant is infants and children up to 18 years of age. The Panel considers that contribution to normal brain development is a beneficial physiological effect for infants and children.
The Panel has already assessed a claim on DHA and maintenance of normal brain function with a favourable outcome. The target population was the general population. The Panel considered that DHA is the major structural lipid in brain tissue and the central nervous system, and that the membrane lipids of brain grey matter and the retina contain high concentrations of DHA. The Panel noted the well-established role of DHA in brain function.
The Panel considers that the role of DHA in normal brain function applies to all ages, including brain development in infants and children. The Panel also notes that the developing brain accumulates large amounts of DHA, particularly during the first two years of life, but also later and throughout childhood. Dietary Reference Values for pre-formed DHA have been set for infants and children.
The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has been established between the consumption of DHA and contribution to normal brain development.
The Panel considers that the following wording reflects the scientific evidence: “DHA contributes to normal brain development”.
In order to bear the claim, foods for older infants (> 6 months of age) and young children below the age of 24 months should provide a daily intake of 100 mg DHA in one or more servings. Foods for children from 2 to 18 years should provide a daily intake of 250 mg DHA in one or more servings.


Source: EFSA Journal 2014;12(10):3840[8 pp.]. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2014.3840

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