19/06/13

New authorised health claims!

A new list of authorised functional health claims was published on 11 June 2013 under the Commission Regulation (EU) No 536/201311.

This Regulation adds 6 new health claims to the list of authorised health claims and specifies their conditions of use. These new health claims relate to the health benefits of DHA and EPA, dried prunes and fructose.

The new Regulation 536/2013 will apply as from 2 January 2014, providing Food Business Operators with more than six months to adapt their labels and commercial communication.

We emphasise that, amongst others, ‘botanicals' claims and claims relating to carbohydrates, caffeine, very low calorie diets and foods with reduced lactose content remain ‘on hold'. One may thus still use these claims provided that they comply with the general principle of the Nutrition and Health Claim Regulation2 and the relevant national law.

The text of the Regulation can be consulted via the following link.

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1   Commission Regulation (EU) No 536/2013 of 11 June 2013 amending Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods other than those referring to the reduction of disease risk and to children’s development and health.

   Regulation No. 1924/2006 on, nutrition and health claims made on food.

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