Numerous publications and studies have failed to convince the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to allow the claim that fat-free yogurt and fermented milks can deliver weight loss benefits.
The Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) ruled that the research submitted had failed to establish “a cause and effect relationship” between consumption of the products as part of an energy-restricted diet and the loss of body fat or maintenance of lean body mass.
The application had been submitted by Spain’s national dairy body, Federación Nacional de Industrias Lácteas (FeNIL). They provided the panel with material from 23 animal and 168 human studies, including intervention studies, observational studies, meta-analyses and reviews. However, the EFSA panel dismissed the relevance of the data given, indicating that all human intervention studies cited were performed with foods other than fat-free yogurt and fermented milks.
FeNIL was seeking permission for manufacturers to use the weight loss claims in relation to products that complied with five nutritional specifications, including fat free, low in sugar and a source of calcium. The ruling will now affect the way in which dairy companies can market these types of products.
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