Omega-3 maker reacts to negative health claim opinions
Vifor Pharma UK-owned Equazen makes brain, eye and development children’s health claims for its ‘eye Q’, ‘eye Q baby’ and ‘Mumomega’ products, but negative opinions mean from April 2010 – six months after their writing into the EU legislature – the claims will not be authorised.
“As a responsible manufacturer, our Equazen packaging will be amended to ensure we remain legally compliant in light of recent European Commission rulings,“ Vifor Pharma managing director, Steve Elting told NutraIngredients.com.
He said these changes, being implemented over the six-month transition period, included all marketing materials and not excluding the Equazen website.
Materials would then be submitted to the Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB), “for approval in light of recent European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) rulings to ensure they are compliant with new regulations.”
They would also pass through the company’s internal regulatory department and the Code of Advertising Practice (CAP).
Future claims
Elting said despite the rejections, the company was confident new claims would eventually be approved.
“The EFSA process and assessment criteria for product claims is a new and complex model for the entire industry from regulators and manufacturers to researchers,“ Elting said.
“In addition, there has been much dialogue in recent months regarding the assessment process and its applicability to food supplement products. The value of omega-3 essential fatty acids in supporting and maintaining various physiological systems is scientifically credible and universally acknowledged by leading academics.“
Claims
The Equazen website contains the following claims which may require modification come April:
“Recent research is suggesting that Omega-3 EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) plays a central role in the communication between cells in the brain, making it crucial from early childhood and throughout life. This is why the majority of Equazen eye q products are formulated with a higher ratio of the functional fatty acid EPA.”
“It is however important to note that DHA is a structural fatty acid known to be important for a baby’s healthy development and through very early childhood, and helps form the building blocks in the baby’s brain and eyes. This is why the products mumomega and Equazen eye q baby are formulated with a high DHA content.”
The status of omega-3 claims will be discussed at the NutraIngredients Health Claims 2010 conference to be held in Brussels on Thursday, 10th December. Speakers include Unilever, analyse&realise, Cantox, academics, industry groups, lawyers and market experts. The EC's Lars Korsholm will also be there to field questions. For more information and to register, please click here .
