Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to 3 g/day plant sterols/stanols and lowering blood LDL-cholesterol and reduced risk of (coronary) heart disease pursuant to Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

Following an application from Unilever PLC and Unilever NV, submitted pursuant to Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of the United Kingdom, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of an application to modify the conditions of use of an authorised Article 14 claim related to 1.5 - 3.0 g plant sterols/stanols per day and lowering blood LDL-cholesterol by 7 - 12 % and reduced risk of (coronary) heart disease. The applicant has further requested that the minimum duration to obtain the effect be one to two weeks. The applicant provided a published systematic review and meta-analysis that evaluated the comparative efficacy of plant sterols and plant stanols for lowering blood LDL-cholesterol in healthy and hypercholesterolaemic subjects and an unpublished meta-analysis on 27 randomised controlled human studies on the LDL-lowering efficacy at a dose range between 2.6 and 3.4 g per day. On the basis of the data presented, the Panel concludes that plant sterols and stanol esters at daily intakes ranging from 1.5 to 3.0 g plant sterols/stanols in matrices approved by Regulation (EC) No 376/2010 (yellow fat spreads, dairy products, mayonnaise and salad dressings) have a similar efficacy on blood LDL-cholesterol lowering, that plant sterols and stanol esters at a daily intake of 3 g (range 2.6 g to 3.4 g) plant sterols/stanols in matrices approved by Regulation (EC) No 376/2010 lower LDL-cholesterol by 11.3 % (95 % CI: 10.0 - 12.5), and that the minimum duration required to achieve the maximum effect of plant sterols and stanols on LDL-cholesterol lowering is two to three weeks.