The EFSA has published its scientific opinion on the safety of zinc L-carnosine as Novel Food 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 provides zinc, but as it was in an insufficiently characterized particulate form, its safety was not established, and the bioavailability was not determined.

EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens),Turck D, Bohn T, Castenmiller J, De Henauw S, Hirsch-Ernst KI, Maciuk A, Mangelsdorf I, McArdle HJ,Naska A, Pelaez C, Pentieva K, Siani A, Thies F, Tsabouri S, Vinceti M, Cubadda F, Frenzel T, HeinonenM, Marchelli R, Neuh€auser-Berthold M, Poulsen M, Prieto Maradona M, Schlatter JR, van Loveren H,Roldan-Torres R and Knutsen HK, 2022. Scientific Opinion on the safety of zincL-carnosine as a Novelfood pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 and the bioavailability of zinc from this source in thecontext of Directive 2002/46/EC on food supplements. EFSA Journal 2022;20(6):7332, 15 pp.https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2022.7332