More and more foods are highlighting their nutritional power or the positive effects they can have on health. In the face of some violations, the European Union decided to pass legislation to protect consumers from excessive or misleading statements. These new rules will come into effect gradually in the coming years.
What is a health claim?
We are calling claim Any message (text, brand name, image, etc.) that asserts, suggests or implies that a food or nutritional supplement Special nutritional properties or submit Health benefits. As consumers become more concerned with the quality of their food, we’ve seen a large number of claims appear on packaging, some of which are fake or misleading. The EU responded by adopting a regulation aimed at curbing these allegations, which has been in place in France since July 2007. However, its impact will only be felt gradually and will not be fully implemented until January 2011.
In the context of foodstuffs or nutritional supplements, claims may relate to several topics: the nutritional quality of the product, its effects on the body and on health in general, the prevention of certain diseases or the growth of children. The rules issued by the European Union vary depending on the type of claim being claimed.