Article - European Food Safety Authority - Europa

A combination of bacterial strains and defence against pathogenic
gastro-intestinal microorganisms (further assessment)
considers that no conclusions can be drawn from the references provided on the individual strains
for the scientific substantiation of the claim.
The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the
consumption of a combination of L. rhamnosus CNCM I-1720, L. helveticus CNCM I-1722,
B. longum subsp. longum CNCM I-3470 and S. cerevisiae var. boulardii CNCM I-1079 and defence
against pathogenic gastro-intestinal microorganisms.
CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of the data presented, the Panel concludes that:
The food constituent, a combination of L. rhamnosus CNCM I-1720, L. helveticus CNCM
I-1722, B. longum subsp. longum CNCM I-3470 and S. cerevisiae var. boulardii CNCM
I-1079, which is the subject of the health claim, is sufficiently characterised.
The claimed effect proposed for further assessment relates to defence against pathogenic
gastro-intestinal microorganisms. The proposed target population is the general population.
Defence against pathogenic gastro-intestinal microorganisms is a beneficial physiological
effect.
A cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of a
combination of L. rhamnosus CNCM I-1720, L. helveticus CNCM I-1722, B. longum subsp.
longum CNCM I-3470 and S. cerevisiae var. boulardii CNCM I-1079 and defence against
pathogenic gastro-intestinal microorganisms.
DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED TO EFSA
Health claims pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 for further assessment
(No: EFSA-Q-2012-00205). The scientific substantiation is based on the information provided by
the competent Authority of France for further assessment of this claim (available at:
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/article13.htm).
REFERENCES
EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products Nutrition and Allergies (NDA), 2010. Scientific Opinion on the
substantiation of health claims related to non characterised bacteria and yeasts pursuant to
Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal, 8(2):1470, 44 pp.
Mattarelli P, Bonaparte C, Pot B and Biavati B, 2008. Proposal to reclassify the three biotypes of
Bifidobacterium longum as three subspecies: Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum subsp.
nov., Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis comb. nov. and Bifidobacterium longum subsp.
suis comb. nov. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 58, 767-772.
Naser SM, Hagen KE, Vancanneyt M, Cleenwerck I, Swings J and Tompkins TA, 2006.
Lactobacillus suntoryeus Cachat and Priest 2005 is a later synonym of Lactobacillus helveticus
(Orla-Jensen 1919) Bergey et al. 1925 (Approved Lists 1980). International Journal of
Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 56, 355-360.
Roy D and Ward P, 2004. Comparison of fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase gene (fbp) sequences for the
identification of Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Current Microbiology, 49, 313-320.
Verdu EF, Bercik P, Huang XX, Lu J, Al-Mutawaly N, Sakai H, Tompkins TA, Croitoru K,
Tsuchida E and Perdue M, 2008. The role of luminal factors in the recovery of gastric function
EFSA Journal 2012;10(8):2853
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