Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on zinc l‐carnosine as a novel food (NF) pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 and as a source of zinc for use in food supplements.
The targeted population was children older than 12 and adults, excluding pregnant and lactating women.
The Panel has considered that the product, a powder with particulate nature and is insoluble in water at neutral pH, was not sufficiently characterized, especially regarding its particulate form and its bioavailability. In this context, the Panel was unable to confirm that the bioavailability and toxicity data provided were sufficient to assess the safety of Novel Food.
Consequently, EFSA Panel considered that the NF was absorbed and provided zinc, but as it was in an insufficiently characterized particulate form, its safety was not established, and the bioavailability was not determined.
