Specialty ingredients group ELC questions health claims criteria
Last week EFSA published its third batch of article 13.1 generic health claim opinions, set to be the last until an omnibus batch is published in June 2011. As on the previous two occasions, a high percentage of the 808 opinions were negative.
Professor Dr Markwart Kunz, president of the ELC, said: “Explaining physiology and health benefits to the consumer today is subject to the nutrition and health claims regulation, with a future positive list of claims. The evaluation according to EFSA’s criteria will play a key role in the process of pre-market approval of claims.
“Looking at the three batches evaluated – while leaving aside vitamins and minerals – only 5 per cent of the claims received a positive opinion. A rejection rate of 95 per cent calls into question whether the criteria applied are appropriate”.
ELC has said it welcomes the opportunity for more dialogue, and that issues over the implementation of the regulation mean there is a real need for a clear view of EFSA’s expectations.
EFSA is holding a series of area-specific workshops to provide extra guidance to applicants on what is expected of them. The first of these, to be held on 2 December in Amsterdam, will concern gut health and immunity. This will be followed by three other events next year: in February on post-prandial blood glucose responses/blood glucose control and weight management/energy intake/satiety; in May on oxidative damage and cardiovascular health; and in September on bone, joint and oral health and cognitive function
A fifth workshop, on physical performance, is planned for February 2012.
The federation has said it hopes the workshops will provide “the basis for real discussion amongst scientists from academia and industry which have as basis the nutrition science, the needs of the European consumer and of the European food and drink market”.
It also said that attention needs to be paid to innovation in the sector, and the position of the many small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which often find it hardest to meet the requirements of new regulations.
Prof. Dr. Kunz’s remarks came as ELC was presenting at the NUCE Congress on functional foods and nutraceuticals in Milan, Italy, this week.
The ELC is a network of some 200 specialty food ingredient companies in Europe, who are either direct members or are represented via associations.
These matters and more will be discussed at the second NutraIngredients Health Claims 2010 conference to be held in Brussels on December 1. The conference will deconstruct the latest article 13.1 claim opinions, hear first-hand experience from players like Kellogg’s, outline regulation-coping marketing strategies, and feature comparison with the US claims system from leading industry figure, Dr Andrew Shao.
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