The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has today (26 February) issued advice to the European Commission on which foodstuffs should carry nutritional or health claim information.
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EFSA said its guidance would help the European Commission draft an approved claim list by 2010.
The watchdog’s scientific panel on dietetic products, nutrition and allergies has concluded that the Commission’s main concern should be “the potential of a food to adversely affect overall dietary balance”, given accepted recommendations on nutrient intake.
Under the EU regulation on nutrition and health claims, which went live last July, the Commission has to draft nutritional guidelines for certain ingredients, which must be followed by food products sporting health claims.
In a bid to assist the Commission, the panel has recommended which nutrients should form part of these guidelines – called nutrient profiles – in the regulation.
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By GlobalData“These nutrients currently include saturated fat, sodium, dietary fibre and unsaturated fat,” the panel said.
However, this assessment could change over time, given shifts in European diets. The inclusion of specific nutrients “should be driven by their public health importance for EU populations,” said the panel, noting that advice on trans-fatty acids might not be necessary, “as intakes in the EU have declined considerably”.
