EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to isoleucine-proline-proline (IPP) and valine-proline-proline (VPP) and maintenance of normal blood pressure (ID 661, 1831, 1832, 2891, further assessment) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 (further reassessment)

Following a request from the European Commission, pursuant to Article 13.1 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to provide a scientific opinion on a health claim related to isoleucine-proline-proline (IPP) and valine-proline-proline (VPP) and maintenance of normal blood pressure. The food constituent that is the subject of the claim, the tripeptides isoleucine-proline-proline (IPP) and valine-proline-proline (VPP), is sufficiently characterised. The claimed effect, maintenance of normal blood pressure, is a beneficial physiological effect. The proposed target population is the general population. In weighing the evidence, the Panel took into account that 15 of the human intervention studies provided, of which seven were adequately powered to detect small between-group differences in systolic blood pressure, did not observe an effect of IPP and VPP on systolic blood pressure or diastolic blood pressure; that interpretation of the results from nine out of the ten studies which reported an effect of IPP and VPP on office systolic blood pressure was limited by methodological weaknesses; that the animal and in vitro/ex vivo studies did not provide additional information on the effect of IPP and VPP on blood pressure in humans; and that there is no convincing evidence for a mechanism by which IPP and VPP could exert the claimed effect in humans at the proposed dose. On the basis of the data presented, the Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of IPP and VPP and maintenance of normal blood pressure.