In recent years, consumers have become increasingly sceptical about on-pack health messaging, viewing health claims as a cynical marketing technique, rather than validated scientifically substantiated proof of a product’s nutritional worth.
Introduced by the European Commission back in 2006, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) stipulated that all health claims must be backed by significant scientific and clinical evidence in order to be approved. In other words, manufacturers have to prove that their product does exactly what it says it will do.
Provexis’ proprietary Fruitflow first hit the headlines in 2009, when its body of scientific evidence was evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority and granted the first approved article 13.5 (proprietary) health claim: “Fruitflow® helps maintain normal platelet aggregation, which contributes to healthy blood flow”.
Platelets are small cells in your blood that interact with other clotting factors to prevent bleeding. Factors such as stress, being overweight or having high cholesterol levels can make platelets become ‘spiky’, which can clump together and form clots. Fruitflow is a water-soluble tomato-based concentrate that works by keeping platelets ‘smooth’ and ensures they flow more easily inside blood vessels.
The technology was licensed to DSM in 2010 and is currently available in a syrup format for application in beverages, spreads and dairy products. DSM is currently working on a powder version for dietary supplements and Provexis is currently working on a gel format for use in sports nutrition products.
On the 16th May 2012, the European Commission announced that of the 2,750 ‘general function’ health claims submitted to EFSA, to date, 222, including Provexis’ claim for Fruitflow®, were to be adopted by the European Union and become law. These adopted claims will help to rid the market of invalid and unsubstantiated claims and create opportunities for smaller companies to succeed with new functional ingredients based on rigorous scientific evaluation.