The article 13.5 claim filed by Laboratoires Nutrition et Cardiométabolisme (LNC) reads: “In the context of a well-balanced diet and a mild caloric restriction, the addition of Stablor contributes to decrease visceral fat while preserving lean mass in overweight or obese subjects with abdominal fat and cardiometabolic risk factors.”
Stablor is a special medical beverage composed of amino acids and micronutrients.
The company advises the product is taken once at breakfast and once in the afternoon in addition to varied and balanced lunches and dinners for 12 weeks.
LNC is a Bordeaux-based R&D company focused on medical foods for the treatment of the underlying causes of metabolic diseases.
What happens now?
According to the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) register of questions the health claim will be processed within the legal deadline for such dossiers, meaning the Parma-based authority has five months to complete its evaluation once the application is considered complete.
Under the European nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR), article 13.5 claims are those based on newly developed scientific evidence and/or for which protection of proprietary data is requested.
EFSA’s dietetic products, nutrition and allergies (NDA) panel has received 48 such applications to date, 13 of which were withdrawn.
So far 27 scientific opinions have been adopted.