Following an application from Zespri International Limited, submitted for authorisation of a health claimpursuant to Article 13(5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of Belgium,the EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinionon the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to green kiwifruit (lat.Actinidia deliciosavar.Hayward) and maintenance of normal defecation. The scope of the application was proposed to fallunder a health claim based on newly developed scientific evidence. The food proposed by theapplicant as the subject of the health claim is green kiwifruit. The Panel considers that green kiwifruit(Actinidia deliciosavar.Hayward) is sufficiently characterised. The claimed effect proposed by theapplicant is‘maintenance of normal defecation’. Maintenance of normal defecation is a beneficialphysiological effect provided that it does not result in diarrhoea. All human intervention studiessubmitted had different limitations and could not be used on their own for the scientific substantiationof the claim. However, the results of six pertinent human intervention studies are consistent withrespect to an effect of consuming daily between two and four green kiwifruits var. Hayward on anincrease in stool frequency. Two out of four studies in which a validated instrument was used to assessstool consistency showed an effect also on stool consistency. There is evidence for a plausiblemechanism by which kiwifruit could exert an effect on normal defecation. The consumption of kiwifruitin the studies did not result in diarrhoea. A cause and effect relationship has been established betweenthe consumption of green kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosavar.Hayward) and maintenance of normaldefecation. The following wordings reflect the scientific evidence:‘consumption of kiwifruit contributesto the maintenance of normal defecation’. In order to obtain the claimed effect, two large greenkiwifruits (i.e. around 200 g of kiwiflesh) should be consumed.