Unilever has welcomed a study by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that supports evidence of a link between meal replacements for weight control and lower body weight.
The Slim-Fast maker said it was “delighted” with the result of the opinion, which a spokesperson for EFSA told just-food was part of a second series of opinions on a list of “general function” health claims.
Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA’s panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to provide a scientific opinion on a list of health claims, including on using meal replacements for weight control and a reduction in body weight.
The panel said the weight loss achieved with meal-replacement products was “almost double” than that secured with conventional, energy-restricted diets prescribed with the same calorie content. The meal replacements used in the study contained up to 250 kcal per serving
The EFSA panel concluded that “a cause and effect relationship has been established between the consumption of meal replacements in substitution of regular meals in the context of energy restricted diets and reduction in body weight”.
In order to bear the claims, a food should contain a maximum of 250 kcal per serving and to achieve the claimed effect, two meals should be substituted with meal replacements daily.
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By GlobalDataUnilever welcomed the positive opinion as confirmation of the efficacy of meal-replacement products.
“We are delighted that EFSA has concluded that there is solid scientific evidence on the cause-and-effect relationship between meal replacements for weight control and reduction in body weight, and maintenance of body weight after weight loss,” the company said.
“This confirms the conclusions of over 40 clinical studies that Unilever’s Slim-Fast brand has conducted. Official approval of these claims would enable products in the Slim-Fast portfolio that comply with the required conditions to make a claim that relates these meal replacement products to effective weight management.”