German-based Leiber recently submitted 17 scientific references for its branded beta-glucan ingredient—Yestimun—to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for approval of an immune health claim. The studies submissions included 10 human studies, five animal studies and two in vitro studies. As reported by NutraIngredients.com, the claim, submitted under article 13.5, read, “Reducing the risk for common cold infections by decreasing the susceptibility for common cold infections during the cold season by strengthening the body’s natural defenses and improving the body’s immune defenses against common cold viral infections during the cold season.”
However, EFSA denied Leiber’s claim, finding no link between the yeast extract and immune benefits. Additionally, EFSA dismissed four of the human studies due an “inappropriate route of exposure”, i.e., intravenous injection.
