The European Union's food safety agency Wednesday said Danone didn't have enough scientific evidence to justify its claim that Immunofortis, an ingredient the French food giant puts in its baby formula products, strengthens the baby's immune system.

In an opinion published on its website, a panel of the European Food Safety Authority said the studies Danone had submitted to support its claim either had "considerable limitations," displayed inconsistent results or were conducted on animals and couldn't be extrapolated to people.

Moreover, "the evidence presented in support of a biologically plausible mechanism by which Immunofortis could exert the claimed effect is not convincing," according to the EFSA panel.

The EFSA is reviewing thousands of health claims of food products on the European market. The results of that review will be particularly important for Danone, which has focused on its strategy on products such as Activia and Actimel that claim to deliver health benefits.

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