EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to oat and barley grain fibre and increase in faecal bulk (ID 819, 822) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to provide a scientific opinion on a list of health claims pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. This opinion addresses the scientific substantiation of health claims in relation to oat and barley grain fibre and increase in faecal bulk. The scientific substantiation is based on the information provided by the Member States in the consolidated list of Article 13 health claims and references that EFSA has received from Member States or directly from stakeholders. The food constituent that is the subject of the health claim is oat and barley grain fibre. The Panel considers that oat and barley grain fibre is sufficiently characterised in relation to the claimed effect. The claimed effect is “gut health”. The target population is assumed to be the general population. In the context of the clarifications provided by Member States and the references provided, the Panel assumes that the claimed effect refers to the improvement of bowel function by increasing faecal bulk. The Panel considers that an increase in faecal bulk may be a beneficial physiological effect. In weighing the evidence, the Panel took into account that the role of cereal grain fibre in increasing faecal bulk in humans is well established, that the mechanisms by which cereal grain fibre exerts the claimed effect are known, that oat fibre has a significant bulking effect in humans, and that a similar effect can be expected from barley grain fibre taking into account the similar composition of oat and barley fibre. The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has been established between the consumption of oat and barley grain fibre and an increase in faecal bulk. The Panel considers that in order to obtain the claimed effect a food should be at least “high in fibre” from oats or barley as per Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. The target population is the general population.