An increasing number of foods marketed and sold in the European Union (EU) bear nutrition and health claims. A nutrition claim states or suggests that a food has beneficial nutritional properties - typical examples include “low fat”, “no added sugar” and “high in fibre”. A health claim, on the other hand, is any statement used on labels, in marketing or in advertising that health benefits can result from consuming a given food, for instance statements that a food can help reinforce the body’s natural defenses or enhance learning ability.

EFSA’s role

The European Commission has proposed a Regulation on the use of nutrition and health claims for foods. One of the Commission’s key objectives is to “ensure that consumers will be able to rely on the truth and accuracy of information” by making sure that health and nutrition claims are based on reliable scientific evidence. EFSA will be strongly involved in implementing the new legislation, as its role will be to assess whether any claims about the health benefits or nutritional value of foods are scientifically reliable and justified. This will see EFSA taking on important new tasks in the field of nutrition.

In anticipation of the new legislation, which has not yet been adopted, EFSA has already begun to organise itself appropriately and to discuss its new responsibilities with the Commission. For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions section.

Background to the proposed new legislation

The European Commission saw the need to propose EU-wide legislation in order to regulate nutrition and health claims by applying harmonised rules across the EU. It has therefore proposed a Regulation on the use of nutrition and health claims for foods which aims to:

• establish general principles for all claims made on foods
• give the consumer the necessary information to make choices based on reliable scientific evidence
• create equal conditions of competition for the food industry.

EFSA Frequently Asked Questions on Nutrition and Health Claims

For more information on nutrition and health claims including:

• Click to open the Nutrition and Health Claims FAQ:
  

A conference will be held by EFSA to exchange views and share experience with all interested parties including EFSA’s Scientific Panel on dietetic products, nutrition and allergies (NDA Panel), EFSA’s Advisory Forum, Member State experts, experts from outside of Europe, European Commission, European Parliament, industry and consumer organisations, NGOs, etc.

Click here for more details on the conference.

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