The EU Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims: Current and Future Trends

when considering how to promote health by linking agriculture, food and nutrition, it makes perfect sense to have a closer look at existing legislation in the area of nutrition and health claims made on food products. This is particularly important because what industry is allowed to say about the impact on health of the foods it sells is an essential element in a number of areas, such as consumer awareness, consumer education, product research and development, and research-funding opportunities. after all, why would anyone invest considerable resources to do research, develop and market a particular food product that would be more nutritious or would help mitigate certain disease-risk factors, if the law were to prohibit any commercial communication on those health benefits? when examining existing legislation on nutrition and health claims made on foods, it is also useful to consider the regulatory framework in the european Union (eU). There are three main reasons for that. firstly, the eU is certainly one of the most regulated regions in the world, particularly in the food area, and it tries to “export”—or at least promote—its regulatory options to other regions and countries worldwide. food legislation adopted in the eU tends to inspire regulators in other countries. Secondly, eU food laws, in general, tend to be more restrictive than in other regions. Thirdly, the eU legislation on nutrition and health claims was adopted recently and some of its provisions are still being developed, causing considerable controversy. Therefore, keeping an eye on the developments in the eU in terms of food claims will help promote understanding of what food manufacturers will be able to communicate to consumers in the eU as well as what new regulatory “tools” could potentially be replicated in other countries. The EU Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims: Current and Future Trends