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 in relation to supercritical CO2 extracted blackcurrant seed oil and maintenance of normal blood pressure and maintenance of normal blood LDL-cholesterol concentrations. 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 that is the subject of the health claims is "blackcurrant seed oil (carbon dioxide extracted) + vitamin E". From the information provided in the proposed health relationship and wordings, the Panel assumes that the food, which is the subject of the health claims, is supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) extracted blackcurrant seed oil. The Panel considers that supercritical CO2 extracted blackcurrant seed oil is sufficiently characterised. Maintenance of normal blood pressure The claimed effect is "cardiovascular system". The target population is assumed to be the general population. In the context of the proposed wordings and clarifications provided by Member States, the Panel assumes that the claimed effect refers to the maintenance of normal blood pressure. The Panel considers that maintenance of normal blood pressure is a beneficial physiological effect. In weighing the evidence, the Panel took into account that the one human intervention study provided, from which conclusion can be drawn for the scientific substantiation of the claimed effect, did not show an effect of supercritical CO2 extracted blackcurrant seed oil on blood pressure. On the basis of the data presented, the Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of supercritical CO2 extracted blackcurrant seed oil and maintenance of normal blood pressure. Maintenance of normal blood LDL-cholesterol concentrations The claimed effect is "cardiovascular system". The target population is assumed to be the general population. In the context of the proposed wordings and clarifications provided by Member States, the Panel assumes that the claimed effect refers to the maintenance of normal blood LDL-cholesterol concentrations. The Panel considers that maintenance of normal blood LDL-cholesterol concentrations is a beneficial physiological effect. No studies, which investigated whether supercritical CO2 extracted blackcurrant seed oil has an LDL-cholesterol-lowering effect beyond what could be expected from its fatty acid composition, have been provided. On the basis of the data presented, the Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the consumption of supercritical CO2 extracted blackcurrant seed oil and maintenance of normal blood LDL-cholesterol concentrations beyond what could be expected from its fatty acid composition. A claim on the replacement of mixtures of saturated fatty acids with cis-monounsaturated fatty acids and/or cis-polyunsaturated fatty acids in foods or diets and maintenance of normal blood LDL-cholesterol concentrations, and claims on linoleic acid and on alpha-linolenic acid and maintenance of normal blood cholesterol concentrations have already been assessed with favourable outcomes.
