Articles
EFSA health claim for tomato comparison of bioactive compound levels in a range of tomato products and WSTC® (water soluble tomato concentrate)
Article number
1351_39
Pages
267 – 274
Language
English
Abstract
Recent research outcome data strongly suggest that processed tomato products have beneficial effects on blood platelet aggregation, depending on the presence and concentration of natural bioactive compounds found in these products, when consumed in a standard diet.
In 2009, EFSA approved a health claim related to the maintenance of normal platelet aggregation for water soluble tomato concentrate (WSTC), commercially branded as Fruitflow®. The aim of this study is to identify the presence and concentration of the full list of bioactive compounds described in the approved Fruitflow® EFSA health claim, in order to progress the probability of a similar health claim for tomato pastes and products.
To our knowledge this is the largest tomato industry scientific collaboration to date, analyzing samples provided from 18 companies, representing 11 countries.
More than 39 bioactive compounds (including nucleosides, nucleotides, polyphenolic compounds, and, in addition, Vitamin E and Potassium) were evaluated and the bioactive determinations for each tomato paste or tomato product were then compared with the WSTC/Fruitflow® extract.
The results of this work are partially confidential.
In order to summarize the results obtained after statistical elaboration, some calculated tables have been created, with the assessment of the effective quantities of bioactive compounds potentially introduced with the diet, recalculated accordingly to the specific portion size, portion unit, etc. for each homogeneous product category and for each bioactive compound analyzed.
This data were compared to those introduced with a Fruitflow® dietary supplement, recalculated according with the suggested serving size (3 pills day‑1). The final comparison obtained shows a direct correlation from WSTC/Fruitflow® to tomato products at levels that will mean a single standard serving of common tomato products will deliver a sufficient (often greater) concentration of bioactive compounds needed to produce the claimed health effect.
This worldwide research collaboration delivers useful information for consumers and all the processing tomato stakeholders: what is the content of relevant bioactive compounds in processed tomato products and how much of each tomato product type must be consumed to achieve intake of relevant bioactive molecules in sufficient quantities.
In 2009, EFSA approved a health claim related to the maintenance of normal platelet aggregation for water soluble tomato concentrate (WSTC), commercially branded as Fruitflow®. The aim of this study is to identify the presence and concentration of the full list of bioactive compounds described in the approved Fruitflow® EFSA health claim, in order to progress the probability of a similar health claim for tomato pastes and products.
To our knowledge this is the largest tomato industry scientific collaboration to date, analyzing samples provided from 18 companies, representing 11 countries.
More than 39 bioactive compounds (including nucleosides, nucleotides, polyphenolic compounds, and, in addition, Vitamin E and Potassium) were evaluated and the bioactive determinations for each tomato paste or tomato product were then compared with the WSTC/Fruitflow® extract.
The results of this work are partially confidential.
In order to summarize the results obtained after statistical elaboration, some calculated tables have been created, with the assessment of the effective quantities of bioactive compounds potentially introduced with the diet, recalculated accordingly to the specific portion size, portion unit, etc. for each homogeneous product category and for each bioactive compound analyzed.
This data were compared to those introduced with a Fruitflow® dietary supplement, recalculated according with the suggested serving size (3 pills day‑1). The final comparison obtained shows a direct correlation from WSTC/Fruitflow® to tomato products at levels that will mean a single standard serving of common tomato products will deliver a sufficient (often greater) concentration of bioactive compounds needed to produce the claimed health effect.
This worldwide research collaboration delivers useful information for consumers and all the processing tomato stakeholders: what is the content of relevant bioactive compounds in processed tomato products and how much of each tomato product type must be consumed to achieve intake of relevant bioactive molecules in sufficient quantities.
Publication
Authors
L. Sandei, E. Cocconi, C. Stingone, R. Vitelli, A. Moreno Barreto, F. De Sio, M.T. Rapacciuolo, D. Sutherland, J. Hawkins
Keywords
tomato products and health, EFSA claim, water-soluble tomato bioactive molecules
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