Skane gets health claim for ProViva
claim to support the health benefits of probiotic bacteria, giving
the company its third health claim for the probiotic fruit juice
ProViva.
Sweden's Skane Dairy has been awarded the country's first health claim for the benefits of probiotic bacteria, raising the value of its probiotic fruit juice ProViva.The health claim is the first given to a probiotic product marketed in Europe.
Skane markets two other functional foods with approved health claims, including the PrimaLiv yoghurt, containing heart healthy oats.
Launched in Sweden in 1994, ProViva, which contains the Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (LP299v) bacteria licensed from biotech firm Probi, has had the greatest percentage sales increase per year of all Skane Dairy's products, according to the company.
"Since it was introduced the increase has consistently been in the order of 15-20 per cent per year," said Lotta Torner, information director at the Swedish dairy firm.
"This approval means that we can now describe the effect that ProViva has in our marketing material. In this case, the product's capability to calm an unsettled stomach by reducing the formation of gas," she explained.
The evidence to support such an effect has been examined by three independent experts who declared it sufficient to support a health claim. Sweden allows the use of eight established generic health claims on foods but product specific claims are evaluated by the Swedish Nutrition Foundation (SNF) under an industry self-regulated programme launched two years ago. Only three products have completed this evaluation to date.
"We have several studies which show that ProViva, with LP299v, reduces the formation of gas in the intestine by influencing the intestinal flora. Formation of gas can give rise to a variety of difficulties which can best be summed up as meaning an upset stomach. This problem - driven by certain bacteria - can have increased life space if the intestinal flora are in a state of imbalance," said Per Bengtsson, physician and research manager at Lund-based Probi.
Last week Skane revealed that it had licensed an appetite suppressant ingredient, Reducal, for addition to a range of products to be launched next year.
"Our ambition remains to work with functional food and health products and to have as many as possible approved for health claims," added Torner.
ProViva was developed in Sweden for use after surgery in patients whose digestive system was not working properly. The dairy-free fruit-based drink provides the recommended daily amount of vitamin C. It is also available on the UK market.
