Food products will need to meet the requirements of nutrient profiles to bear nutrition and health claims. Nutrient profiles will be based on the content of nutrients such as fat, saturated fat, trans-fatty acids, salt and sugars, excessive intakes of which in the overall diet are not recommended. Nutrition claims can fail one criterion, i.e. if only one nutrient (salt, sugar or fat) exceeds the limit of the profile a claim can still be made. In such cases the high level of that particular nutrient must be clearly marked on the label, although not if the claim relates to the reduced content of a certain nutrient. Health claims cannot fail any criteria. Exemptions from the requirement to respect established nutrient profiles can also be envisaged for certain foods or categories of foods depending on their role and importance in the diet of the population.
Nutrient profiles will be set on the basis of scientific advice of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), but should also allow for innovation in the food sector. Socioeconomic impact will also be considered when setting nutrient profiles, as well as, cultural and dietary/culinary aspects. The nutrient profiles will be fully in force as from January 2011.
Health claims will need Community authorisation to be used in labelling and advertising of foods. The authorisation procedures foresee the evaluation of the claim scientific substantiation by EFSA. Only the claims backed by scientific data proving the health beneficial effect will be authorised.
For the food industry, the regulation on nutrition and health claims harmonises rules in force on the European market, and for consumers, it represents a guarantee of reliable information and the use of only scientifically substantiated claims.Interviews: Daniela Forapani, Consumer, Italy
James Murray, The European Consumers Organisation, Director
Catherine Geslain-Laneelle, European Food Safety Authority, Executive Director
Albert Flynn, EFSA Scientific Panel on Nutrition
Paola Testori-Coggi, European Commission, DG Health and Consumer Protection
Justine Huart, Dietitian, Belgium
Nathalie Delzenne, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium
Gert Meijer, Unilever Health Institute, The Netherlands
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