Valio calls for EFSA reorganisation

Finland’s leading dairy Valio has called for reorganisation of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) following the organisation’s rejection earlier this year of the Valio probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG). This is the active ingredient in Valio’s pioneering Gefilus milk, buttermilk, yogurt and dairy drinks products. LGG is claimed by Valio to offer good defence against intestinal pathogens in humans. But the EFSA panel of Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) rejected a massive dossier of supporting research results for LGG covering 600 published studies, 30 doctorate theses and including results from 45 separate human studies. According to the NDA, Valio claims for LGG “failed to demonstrate causality”.

Valio has questioned the whole process of EFSA approval and called for a much clearer definition by the organisation of its methodological and statistical requirements.

To avoid time-wasting in long tests of probiotic substances in the future, Valio has also joined French dairy Danone in calling for pre-submission discussions with the European bodies on any new dairy additives from now on.