EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA); Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to medium-chain triglycerides and reduction in body weight (ID 643, 677, 1614) 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 medium-chain triglycerides and reduction in body weight.

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 claims is medium-chain triglycerides.

In the context of the references provided, the Panel assumes that the food constituent which is the subject of the health claims is medium-chain fatty acids, which should replace long-chain fatty acids in triglycerides in order to obtain the claimed effect. The Panel considers that the food constituent, medium-chain fatty acids, which is the subject of the health claims, is sufficiently characterised in relation to the claimed effect.

The claimed effect is “weight management”. The target population is assumed to be overweight individuals in the general population who wish to reduce their body weight. The Panel considers that reduction in body weight is a beneficial physiological effect. In weighing the evidence, the Panel took into account that the results from the human intervention studies provided are inconsistent with respect to the effects of medium-chain triglycerides on body weight loss, and that the evidence in support of a mechanism by which medium-chain triglycerides could exert the claimed effect is weak and not convincing.

The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of medium-chain triglycerides and reduction in body weight.