Professor Albert Flynn, Chair of EFSA’s Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA), said: “EFSA has identified the daily intake of plant stanols and sterols necessary to achieve a significant reduction in cholesterol and how long it takes for it to work. We also looked at the type of foods best suited to achieve this effect.

“This advice will help the European Commission and Member States when considering the authorisation of relevant health claims and will ultimately help ensure that consumers are not misled about the scientific basis for such claims.”

Scientists on the NDA Panel said in an Opinion that cholesterol in the blood can be reduced on average by 7 to 10.5% if a person consumes 1.5 to 2.4 grams of plant sterols and stanols every day. The scientists found that the effect is usually established within the first 2-3 weeks. Studies, which covered periods of up to 85 weeks, showed that the effect could be sustained throughout that period.

The NDA Panel also concluded that foods such as yoghurts and milk, including low-fat yoghurts and cheese, margarine-type spreads, mayonnaise, salad dressing and other dairy products, were the most suitable for delivering the cholesterol-lowering effects from plant stanols and sterols to the body. For other foods, either information was lacking or they appeared to be less effective in reducing blood cholesterol levels.