MEPs head to EFSA with health claim questions
The group included Environment Committee Chair, Jo Leinen, who said a primary European Parliament concern was protecting consumers against misleading health claims.
"We need to defend consumers against food products carrying unfounded health claims,” Leinen said.
“MEPs want EFSA to maintain a tough stance on rejecting claims that are supported only by lobbying and marketing, instead of sound science. The European Parliament is fully committed to restoring consumers' trust in the safety and quality of all food sold in the European Union."
Leinen’s view is not supported by large sections of the functional foods and supplements industry, along with many nutrition scientists that believe valid food research is being dismissed because it does meet the regulation’s medicine-style criteria.
The delegation heard presentations from European Food Safety Authority executive director, Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle; Dr Albert Flynn, the chair of the NDA health claims panel; and Per Bergman, the head of its GMO Unit.
The other MEPs on the visit were Corinne LePage, Pilar Ayuso, Dagmar Roth-Behrendt, Jutta Haug, Ester De Lange, Boguslaw Sonik and Vittorio Prodi.
