Are probiotic drinks healthy?

Danone

It's always been believed that probiotic drinks are good for you, but is this in fact the truth? According to new research, not all the claims are true.

After extensive review of scientific research, at least two thirds of the claims submitted were found to be untrue, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said.

Under European rules, consumers are protected from fake claims through the banning of publication of any information which may be false, misleading or difficult to understand.

More than 500 claims were made by companies about the nutritional value or healthiness of products, with only a third approved, the agency has found.

The first assessments of existing food health claims by EFSA, included 523 opinions assessed by scientists, of which 180 of those were for the probiotic supplements.

Of the 180 assessed, nine were rejected for having "negative" opinions on their health claims. A further 105 were "not sufficiently characterised" and hadn't provided enough evidence of their effects, the EFSA said.

The claims related to more than 200 foods and food components such as vitamins and minerals, fibre, fats, carbohydrates and "probiotic", or therapeutic, bacteria to determine their nutritional value.

The watchdog also investigated the functions of vitamins and minerals in the body, and also included dietary fibres, fatty acids for maintenance of cholesterol levels, and sugar-free chewing gum for maintenance of dental health.

Other claims that were rejected included special bacteria that are supposed to aid digestion and boost the immune system, beta carotene additives for sunscreen and shark cartilage for healthy joints.

As a result of the ruling, producers of many probiotic supplements, yoghurts and drinks won't be able to say they boost the immune system or kill harmful organisms in a person's stomach.

According to experts said it was a blow to the UK's "dairy shots" industry, which is worth GBP£220 million annually and relies heavily on the claims.

"There were many claims on the market and consumers needed to be reassured that these claims were accurate and were backed by science," said Albert Flynn, chairman of the agency's expert panel.

"If the claims are backed by science, it may be permitted, but if they are not, they may be prohibited.

"From an industry perspective, it means that there would be a level playing field for food companies so that they compete fairly and make the claims that are authorised."

Britain's best-selling yogurt drinks, Actimel and Yakult, were reportedly excluded from the findings because Danone, Actimel's maker, and Yakult, the Japanese firm which introduced probiotic drinks to the UK in 1996, withdrew their claims before they could be scrutinised.

They have since been resubmitted but the results will not be available until next year.

The Japanese firm added: "Evidence for its health benefit is based on over 70 human studies and over 70 years of research."

The EU agency said more than 4000 other claims are yet to be investigated.

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