Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to bovine colostrum (ID 1472, 1473, 1474, 1475, 1476, 1889, 1890) 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 related to bovine colostrum. 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 bovine colostrum related to the following claimed effects: “immune health/source of immunoglobulins”, “supports immune function during periods of intense physical exercise”, “supports an improvement in exercise performance when combined with regular training”, “supports an increase in lean body mass when combined with resistance exercise”, “supports recovery following intense exercise”, “digestion health: bovine colostrum might help for the treatment of colitis/prevents diarrhoea, diminishes colicky symptoms/bovine colostrum is effective in the management of gastrointestinal disorders”, and “anti-asthénique (récupération)”. Bovine colostrum is the milk produced by the bovine mammary gland during late pregnancy and the first few days after birth of the offspring. Bovine colostrum preparations are sold in the form of powder and tablets. The Panel notes that the references provided for the substantiation of the health claims considered in this opinion have used as intervention either concentrated bovine colostrum protein, whole bovine colostrum in powder form, for which only energy and macronutrient composition is provided, or immunoglobulin-enriched bovine colostrum, and that the characterisation of the food which is the subject of the health claims, is unclear. The Panel also notes that the concentrations of various components of the bovine colostrum which are proposed to contribute to the claimed effects have not been provided. The Panel considers that the food constituent, bovine colostrum, which is the subject of this opinion, is not sufficiently characterised in relation to the claimed effects considered in this opinion. The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship cannot be established between the consumption of bovine colostrum and the claimed effects considered in this opinion.