HEALTH AND NUTRITION CLAIMS
HEALTH AND NUTRITION CLAIMS
Health and Nutrition Claims
Nutrition or Health Claims, which we often find on the label or in the marketing materials of various products, are phrases that correlate food intake with a benefits for human physiology.
REGULATION (EC) No. 1924/2006 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 20 December 2006 EUR-Lex – 02006R1924-20141213 – EN – EUR-Lex – 02006R1924-20141213 – EN – EUR-Lex (europa.eu) is the document in charge that regulate nutrition and health claims made on foodstuffs.
The European Commission authorizes various health claims as long as they are based on scientific evidence and can be easily understood by consumers.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is responsible for evaluating the scientific evidence supporting health claims.
Types of Health Claims
There are different types of Health claims and they fall into 3 categories:
- 1. So-called ‘function-related health claims’ (Article 13)
- Relating to growth, development and body functions.
- Relating to psychological and behavioral functions.
- On slimming or weight control.
- So-called ‘risk reduction claims’ (Article 14(1)(a) on the reduction of a risk factor in the development of a disease. For example: ‘Plant sterols have been shown to reduce blood cholesterol. Blood cholesterol is a risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease’.
- Health ‘Claims referring to children’s development’ (Article 14(1)(b)). For example: ‘Vitamin D is necessary for normal bone growth and development in children’.
Nutrition Claims
In addition to Health Claims, the committee also regulated Nutrition Claims.
A nutrition claim is any claim that states, suggests or implies that a food has particular beneficial nutritional properties due to its energy (calorific value):
- Provides
- Provides at a reduced or increased rate
- Does not provide.
The nutrients or other substances it:
- Contains
- Contains in reduced or increased proportions or does not contain
Nutrition claims are only permitted if they are listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 EUR-Lex – 32006R1924 – EN – EUR-Lex (europa.eu) as amended by Regulation (EU) No 1047/2012 EUR-Lex – 32012R1047 – EN – EUR-Lex (europa.eu).
Health and Nutrition Claims Advisory Service
If you would like to use my advisory service for issues related to CLAIMs for your food and to assess their regularity, please contact me via the form on this page, or write to me at info(@)angilericonsulting.com.