HEALTH CLAIMS IN THE

LABELLING OF FOOD
PRODUCTS
 EU nutrition and health claims
regulation (1924/2006)

Nutrition information on Food Labels

Nutrition Labelling Nutrition Claims

Nutrient content claims

Nutrient function claims

Nutrient comparative claims
 EU nutrition and health claims
regulation (1924/2006)
• In January 2007, Regulation 1924/2006 on nutrition
and health claims made on foods.

• This is the first piece of specific legislation to deal with

nutrition and health claims

• Entered into force on 19 January 2007

• Shall apply from 1 July 2007
 Why are labelling and claims
important?
Consumers are more than
ever interested in:
 the origin
 features
 characteristics
 quality
 nutritional properties
... of the food they
buy
 New EC Harmonised Rules
Nutrition & Health Claims

• The new rules:

– will apply to the labelling, presentation and

advertising of foods ready for the final consumer
or caterers
– will not apply to claims made in noncommercial
communications (e.g. dietary guidelines, press
information, scientific publications).
 Some key elements:

•Objective: to increase consumer protection,

legal security and fair competition harmonized rules in
all EU countries
•Products with claims have to have certain nutrient profile
that will be defined later (fat, SAFA, trans FA, sugar,
salt), one derogation acceptable for nutritional claims
•Scientific evaluation of claims by EFSA
•Commission shall establish a Community Register of
claims, only accepted claims may be
used in the future
 Nutrition and Health Claims
General Principles
• Establishment of general principles for all nutrition
and health claims

• Restrictions on nutrition and health claims based on

nutrient profiles

• A positive list of nutrition claims

• Prior-authorisation of health claims.

 Nutrition and Health Claims
General Principles

• Must not be false or ambiguous;

• encourage or condone excess consumption of

a food;

• refer to changes in bodily functions which could

rise to, or exploit, fear in the consumer.
 Why are labelling and claims
important?
Consumers are more than
ever interested in:
 the origin
 features
 characteristics
 quality
 nutritional properties
... of the food they
buy
 New EC Harmonised Rules
Nutrition & Health Claims

• The new rules:

– will apply to the labelling, presentation and

advertising of foods ready for the final consumer
or caterers
– will not apply to claims made in noncommercial
communications (e.g. dietary guidelines, press
information, scientific publications).
 Some key elements:

•Objective: to increase consumer protection,

legal security and fair competition harmonized rules in
all EU countries
•Products with claims have to have certain nutrient profile
that will be defined later (fat, SAFA, trans FA, sugar,
salt), one derogation acceptable for nutritional claims
•Scientific evaluation of claims by EFSA
•Commission shall establish a Community Register of
claims, only accepted claims may be
used in the future
 Nutrition and Health Claims
General Principles
• Establishment of general principles for all nutrition
and health claims

• Restrictions on nutrition and health claims based on

nutrient profiles

• A positive list of nutrition claims

• Prior-authorisation of health claims.

 Nutrition and Health Claims
General Principles

• Must not be false or ambiguous;

• encourage or condone excess consumption of

a food;

• refer to changes in bodily functions which could

rise to, or exploit, fear in the consumer.
 What is Nutrition Label?
• List out the nutrient
content systemically
• Usually in tabular
format
• Different ways of
presentation are
required by different
countries
 What is Claims?
• Any non-mandatory message or
representation …

which states, suggests or implies …

that a food has particular characteristics

 Nutrient
• Nutrient – protein, carbohydrate, fat, fibre,
sodium, vitamins and minerals and substances
which belong to or are constituents of one of
those categories.
• Other substance – a substance other than a
nutrient that has a nutritional or physiological
effect.
Nutritional claim
• Beneficial properties are due
to the energy, the nutrients or
other substances the food
– contains
– contains in reduced or
increased
proportions
– does not contain
 Health claim
Any claim that states, suggests or
implies that relationship exists between a
food category, a food or one of its
constituents and health.
Reduction of disease risk claim
Any health claim that states, suggests
or implies that the consumption of a food
category, a food or one of its constituents
significantly reduces a risk factor in the
development of a human disease.
 Claims on foods:
What Are We Talking About?

• Nutrition Claims (what it contains)

• Health Claims (what it does)

 Nutrition and Health Claims
What Are We Talking About?

• Nutrition Claim - that a food has particular beneficial

nutritional properties due to: the energy (calorific
value) it provides, provides at a reduced or increased
rate, or does not provide, and/or; the nutrients or other
substances it contains, contains in reduced or increased
proportions, or does not contain

• Health Claim - that a relationship exists between a

food category, a food or one of its constituents and
health.
 Nutrition & Health Claims

1. Health claims other than those referring to the

reduction of disease risk and to children´s
development and health (article 13)

2. Reduction of disease risk claims and claims

referring to children´s development and health
(article 14)
 Article 13: Health claims
describing or referring to:
a) the role of a nutrient or other substance in
growth, development and the functions of the
body
b) psychological and behavioural functions
c) slimming and weight control or a reduction in
the sense of hunger or an increase in the sense
of satiety or to the reduction of the
available energy from the diet
 Food Claims - the Challenges

1. Health claims - implied health claims

- unclear scientific substantiation
- wording suggesting that a food is a
medicine
2. Nutrition claims - Comparative claims
3. Food with undesirable basic composition
to bear nutrition or health claims
 Food Claims - the Challenges

1. Health claims - implied health claims

- unclear scientific substantiation
- wording suggesting that a food is a
medicine
Implied Health Claims
Implied Health Claims
general unspecific benefits
 Implied Health Claims
using brand names suggesting health benefits
 Implied Health Claims
reference to psychological, behavioural
functions, making reference to doctors
 Health Claim –
reduction of risk unclear scientific
substantiation, wording suggesting the food is a
medicine

undesirable basic composition

of the food
 Health Claim –
reduction of risk unclear scientific
substantiation, wording suggesting the food is
a medicine
 Food Claims - the Challenges

1. Health claims - implied health claims

- unclear scientific substantiation
- wording suggesting that a food is a
medicine
2. Nutrition claims - Comparative claims
Nutrition - Comparative Claim
Nutrition - Comparative Claim
Nutrition claim
 Food Claims - the Challenges

1. Health claims - implied health claims

- unclear scientific substantiation
- wording suggesting that a food is a
medicine
2. Nutrition claims - Comparative claims
3. Food with undesirable basic composition
to bear nutrition or health claims
 Implied Health Claims,
nutrition claim,
undesirable basic composition of a food
 Implied Health Claims,
nutrition claim,
undesirable basic composition of a food
 Food Claims
What do consumers expect?

• Do existing labelling rules need to be

improved?
 Health claims
must be substantiated
Scientific substantiation of claims is
important for:

• Consumer confidence

• Regulatory bodies

• Fair competition
 Do existing labelling rules need to
be improved?
YES, because some labels:
•􀀹 Can mislead consumers
•􀀹 Provide information that is not needed to make an informed
choice
•􀀹 Are unclear, illegible and ambiguous
•􀀹 Do not provide mandatory nutritional labelling although it
would help consumers to make informed choices
•􀀹 Imply unproven contributions to the improvement of health
•􀀹 Imply by simply adding a health or nutrition claim that a
food can make on important contribution to the
improvement of a consumer’s diet
 What improvements are
necessary?
• Harmonisation of rules across Member States
• 􀀹 Clear rules for the use of nutrition and health
claims
• 􀀹 Presentation of nutritional information in clear
and standardised formats
• 􀀹 Special attention to be paid to vulnerable
groups