Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2003)424 - Nutrition and health claims made on foods - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2003)424 - Nutrition and health claims made on foods. |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2003)424  |
| date | 16-07-2003 |
1. The European Community has adopted detailed rules on labelling i and nutrition labelling i of foods. With regard to claims there is the basic provision that claims should not mislead the consumer. Furthermore, Article 2 i (b) of Directive 2000/13/EC on the labelling, presentation and advertising of foods, prohibits the attribution of preventing, treating and curing properties to foods. Proper enforcement of these general provisions would go a long way to prevent abuse in this area. However, Member States and stakeholders have pointed out that these general principles are open to different interpretations and therefore are not satisfactory for dealing with some specific claims. Very recently, in case C-221/00, Austria v Commission, the European Court of Justice interpreted the existing labelling Directive as banning all health claims relating to human diseases. In the light of the technological innovation in the food sector and the demand from consumers and industry alike it is proposed to set a new legislative framework on the use of claims. The proposed Regulation would allow health claims under strict conditions and following an independent scientific assessment and Community authorisation.
2. In view of the proliferation of the number and type of claims appearing on the labels of foods and in the absence of specific provisions at European level, some Member States have adopted legislation and other measures to regulate their use. This has resulted in different approaches and in numerous discrepancies both regarding the definition of the terms used and the conditions warranting the use of claims. These discrepancies can act as barriers to guaranteeing a high level of consumer and public health protection, and can constitute obstacles to the free movement of foods and the proper functioning of the internal market. For these reasons, harmonisation of rules on claims at Community level is being advocated.
3. In its White Paper on Food Safety, the Commission proposed to consider whether to introduce into Community legislation specific provisions to govern 'nutrition claims' (claims describing the presence, absence or level of a nutrient contained in a foodstuff, or its value compared to similar products) and 'functional claims' (claims related to the beneficial effects of a nutrient on certain normal bodily functions). [Paragraph 101, Action n° 65].
4. In order to gather comments and specific suggestions on these claims, the Commission services prepared a Discussion Paper (SANCO/1341/2001), which was published on the Commission's website in May 2001. The paper outlined the issues that needed to be considered in future legislation and invited comments. On the issue of health claims, the Discussion Paper announced a separate discussion at a later stage.
5. The Commission services received comments from more than 90 stakeholders, which have also been published on the website. Some Member States and many stakeholders, including consumers and industry, expressed their regret that so-called 'health claims' were not addressed and requested that all types of claims be regulated at Community level, since these 'health claims' are already found on the market and are posing problems. In response to the comments received, the Commission prepared this proposal in order to define and set conditions for nutrition and 'health' claims in one single legislative proposal.
6. The main objectives of this proposal are the following:
- to achieve a high level of consumer protection by providing further voluntary information, beyond the mandatory information foreseen by EU legislation;
- to improve the free movement of goods within the internal market;
- to increase legal security for economic operators; and
- to ensure fair competition in the area of foods;
- to promote and protect innovation in the area of foods.
7. This proposal covers nutrition and health claims used in the labelling, presentation and advertising of foods. Only nutrition and health claims that are in conformity with the provisions of this Regulation will be allowed on the labelling, presentation and advertising of foods placed on the market within the Community and delivered as such to the final consumer.
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8. As food production has become more and more complex, consumers are increasingly interested in the information appearing on food labels. They have also become more interested in their diet, its relationship to health, and, more generally, the composition of foods that they are selecting. For these reasons it is important that information about foods and their nutritional value appearing on the labelling and used for their presentation, marketing and advertising should be clear, accurate and meaningful.
9. The food industry has responded to the increased interest of consumers in nutrition by providing nutrition labelling on many foods and by highlighting the nutritional value of products through claims in their labelling, presentation and advertising. Some would argue that this evolution could be considered as a positive one for providing relevant information to the consumer. It also provides an opportunity to use claims as a marketing tool.
10. At international level, General Guidelines on the use of claims were adopted by Codex Alimentarius in 1979, and revised in 1991. These General Guidelines are based on the following two principles. Firstly, no food should be described or presented in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive, or that is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character in any respect; secondly, the person marketing the food should be able to justify the claim made. These General Guidelines also describe those claims made on foods that should be prohibited, such as: claims that cannot be substantiated, claims implying that a balanced diet or ordinary foods cannot supply adequate amounts of all nutrients, and claims as to the suitability of a food for use in prevention, treatment or cure of a human disease.
11. More specifically, Guidelines for the use of nutrition claims have been adopted by Codex Alimentarius since 1997. These Guidelines provide definitions for 'nutrient content claim' (for example: low fat, source of calcium), 'comparative claim' (for example: reduced fat, increased calcium) and 'nutrient function claim' (for example: calcium aids in the development of strong bones and teeth), as well as for the conditions warranting these claims. Initially, health claims were included in these Guidelines; however, discussions on this type of claims proved to be much more difficult and controversial, and it was only in May this year (2003) that definitions and conditions for health claims have been agreed within the Codex Committee on Food labelling (CCFL) and should be finalised and adopted later this year.
12. In addition to the definition of 'nutrients' which covers the calorific value and the 'traditional' nutrients (protein, carbohydrate, fat, fibre, sodium, vitamins and minerals), it is proposed to cover also 'other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect' (for example, antioxidants, probiotic bacteria). Many claims concerning these 'other substances' are already in use on many products on the Community market. Not including these 'other substances' would mean that claims relating to them would not fall under any legislation or would be regulated by differing national rules that may impede the free movement of goods and that may not ensure an equal and high level of consumer protection throughout the EU.
13. Some consumer organisations in the European Union consider that products that do not have a 'desirable' nutritional profile, such as candies, high salt and high fat snacks or high fat and sugar biscuits and cakes should not be allowed to bear claims. For example, a 'low fat' claim should only be allowed if the product does not contain high quantities of sugar or salt; or a 'high calcium' claim should not be used on a product with a high fat content. They consider that such foods would become more attractive because of the way in which they will be labelled and advertised and many consumers that are currently eating them in moderation would consume them in greater quantities. This, they believe, would have a more immediate negative effect on the dietary habits of certain particularly vulnerable sections of the population, like children and adolescents. This view is also shared by some Member States.
14. Although based on understandable concerns and important arguments, a number of scientific and policy arguments could challenge such restrictions. The concept of prohibiting the use of claims on certain foods on the basis of their 'nutritional profile' is contrary to the basic principle in nutrition that there are no 'good' and 'bad' foods but rather 'good' and 'bad' diets. Nutritional advice certainly recommends judicious food choices and moderation in consumption of certain products but accepts that, in a long-term varied diet, all foods could be included in appropriate frequency and quantities. This argument, although scientifically valid, should be considered in the appropriate context. Foods baring claims are presented by the food operators as products whose consumption would provide a benefit, that is as 'good' or 'better' products. In most cases, influenced by the promotional campaigns, consumers perceive them as such. This potential bias should be avoided in order to prevent the negative effects mentioned in point 13. Therefore some restrictions on the use of claims on foods based on their nutritional profile should be foreseen. In particular, the amount of total fat, saturates, trans fatty acids, sugars, sodium or salt, at variable levels, are commonly cited as criteria for the 'nutritional profile' of products. Scientific research identifies an association between the high consumption of these nutrients and some chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, several types of cancer, obesity, osteoporosis and dental disease. More complicated schemes involving many more parameters may be under study. But all these proposals are currently far from meeting with the required consensus. Therefore it would be appropriate that such criteria and any relevant exceptions that should apply in the Community be adopted after careful and adequate consideration of the matter but within reasonably short time limits.
15. In the Council Conclusions of 5 June 2001 on a Community strategy to reduce alcohol related harm i it is emphasised that alcohol is one of the key health determinants in the European Community and that scientific work has clearly shown that high consumption of alcohol in the population substantially increases the risk of alcohol-related morbidity and of all-cause mortality. Furthermore, there is concern about the way in which alcoholic beverages are designed and promoted to appeal in particular to children and adolescents. This concern has been emphasised in Council Recommendation of 5 June 2001 on the drinking of alcohol by young people i. Therefore, it is appropriate to envisage the prohibition of nutrition and health claims on alcoholic beverages and to envisage that, if necessary, appropriate decisions are taken, following the Committee procedures, for other foods or food categories for which current dietary advice would not normally promote their consumption.
16. In view of the above and given the positive image conferred on foods bearing nutrition and/or health claims, the information for the consumer about the nutritional profile of the product could be improved through the labelling. Thus nutrition labelling should become mandatory for all foods bearing nutrition and health claims. For all health claims it should also be complete in order to give a better overall picture of the food. Furthermore specific statements relevant to the importance of a diversified diet can serve to remind and reinforce consumer knowledge on this specific point. In addition, efforts to inform and educate consumers on nutritional issues and the importance of good dietary habits for better health and overall well-being should be maintained and, where possible, reinforced.
17. A very important aspect is the actual communication and presentation of claims in respect of food products. It is often argued that the information provided on foods is not always well understood by consumers. Therefore, ways in which information is communicated have to be considered very carefully. A claim that is not understood is completely useless while a claim that is misunderstood could even be misleading. Consumer understanding of claims is essential and there have been discussions about the representative or average consumer to whom these claims should be understandable. The term average consumer used in the proposal has already been developed by the European Court of Justice in a number of cases (C-315/92, C-470/93, C-313/94, C-210/96, C-303-/97). The actual wording, logos and images used to state or imply a claim and product endorsements all play important roles in the way claims are perceived and understood by the consumer.
18. Some claims may be misleading due to the way in which they are expressed, even if they are factually true. For example, claims stating that a product is '90% fat-free' may indeed be true, but they imply that a the product has a low fat content while it actually contains 10% fat which, for the majority of products, is not a low fat content. A survey carried out by the Consumers' Association (UK) i in April 2000 revealed that most people could not tell which was the healthiest option between a 'low fat' product, a 'reduced fat' product and a '90% fat-free' product. More than half the people thought that the '90% fat-free' product contains the least fat, in fact it has the most. Therefore it is proposed to prohibit the use of such claims. Furthermore, there may be cases of truthful but highly specialised claims; for example 'folate may help normalise plasma homocystine levels'. This claim may indeed be true, the product may contain bio-available folate and in quantities to achieve the claimed effect, but hardly anyone would understand the claim. It should therefore be ensured that complicated specialised claims that turn out to be meaningless to consumers are not used.
19. Many claims already found on the market make reference to general, non-specific benefits and to general wellbeing. For example: 'excellent for your organism', "reinforces the body's resistance", 'helps your body resist stress', 'purifies your organism', 'has a positive effect on your wellbeing', ' has an harmonising effect on your metabolism', 'helps keep your body feeling good', 'preserves youth', etc; all currently found on foods sold within the Community. Not only are these claims vague and often meaningless, but also they are not verifiable. Therefore, they should not be allowed.
20. There are many factors, other than dietary ones, that can influence psychological and behavioural functions. Communication on these functions is thus very complex and it is difficult to convey a comprehensive, truthful and meaningful message in a short claim to be used in the labelling and advertising of foods. Furthermore, many abuses of these claims are currently found on the market and 'intellectual vitamins' for 'good memory and concentration' and for 'better results in your exams' easily deceive and misinform consumers. Therefore, it is deemed appropriate not to allow the use of such claims.
21. Directive 96/8/EC on foods intended for use in energy-restricted diets for weight reduction i, prohibits in the labelling, presentation and advertising of products covered by the Directive and especially designed for weight control, any reference to the rate or amount of weight loss which may result from their use, or to a reduction in the sense of hunger or an increase in the sense of satiety. A growing number of foods not especially designed for weight control are marketed using the above-mentioned references and referring to the property of reducing the available energy from the diet, for example 'halves/reduces your calories intake', as well as numerous references to presumed slimming properties. It is therefore justified that such references should also be prohibited for all foods.
22. In order to present consumers and industry with clear benchmarks concerning the use of nutrition claims, clear and simple rules should be set. At international level Codex Alimentarius has developed guidelines for the most commonly used nutrition claims (such as 'low', 'rich', 'light', etc.). Similar criteria also exist in some Member States. The Annex to this proposal provides a list of nutrition claims and their specific conditions of use. This Annex takes into account existing provisions of some Member States, the Codex Alimentarius guidelines, and some Community provisions. In order to revise and adapt the Annex promptly, when necessary, modifications to this Annex should be adopted though the Committee procedure referred to in Article 23.
23. The possibility of using the claim 'low fat' for spreadable fats provided in Regulation (EC) 2991/94 will be adapted to the provisions of this Regulation at the earliest opportunity.
24. For comparative claims, such as 'increased' or 'reduced', one would ask compared to what. It is therefore necessary that the products being compared are clearly identified to the final consumer. The comparison shall be made between foods of the same category, taking into consideration a range of foods of that category and including other brands. The difference in the quantity of a nutrient and/or energy value should be stated and the comparison should relate to the same quantity of food. These provisions are deemed necessary in order to avoid biased comparisons
25. There are a number of claims that are generally known under the broad term of 'health claims' which would describe a relationship between a category of food, or a food or one of its constituents and health.
26. Directive 2000/13/EC on labelling, presentation and advertising of foods specifically prohibits attributing to foods any properties of prevention, treatment or cure of a human disease, or any reference to such properties. Furthermore, this Directive requires the setting of a list of claims referring to the above-mentioned properties which must at all events be prohibited or restricted. Furthermore, the recent Court judgement (ECJ case C-221/00) interpreted the existing Directive as banning all health claims relating to human diseases. However, it has to be considered whether this total prohibition is still adapted to the advances of research, science and food technology, as well as to consumers expectations. This proposal for a Regulation on the use of claims maintains the prohibition on claims referring to the prevention, treatment or cure of a human disease, however a difference between 'prevention' and 'reduction of a disease risk factor' is made and a derogation is provided. Indeed, it is acknowledged that diet and certain foods can make important contributions to the support and maintenance of health, and that diet and certain foods can play a role in the management of certain disease risk factors.
27. The European Parliament Resolution of March 1998 on the Green Paper on the General Principles of Food Law in the European Union i called on the Commission to propose legislation on food claims to ensure that 'health claims are only authorised if they are tested and confirmed by an independent body within the European Union'. It also called on the Commission to continue to ban the use of claims referring to the suitability of a food to treat, cure or prevent a disease, though claims referring to the reduction of the risk of disease should be allowed 'if they are based on sufficient and recognised scientific findings and if they are tested and confirmed by an independent body within the European Union'. Furthermore, the European Parliament Resolution of June 2001 on the White Paper on Food Safety i called on the Commission to address 'enhanced function claims and disease reduction claims' and to consider this as a priority for legislation. In this proposal, heath claims include the above-mentioned sub-categories of claims requested by the European Parliament, as well as those claims describing a well-established and generally accepted role of a nutrient or other substance in growth, development and normal functions of the body. It is essential to bear in mind that a varied and balanced diet is a prerequisite for good health and single products have a relative importance in the context of the total diet, and that diet is one of the many factors influencing the onset of certain human diseases. Other factors such as age, genetic predisposition, the level of physical activity, the use of tobacco (and other drugs/medicines), environmental exposure, stress may all influence the onset of human diseases. Hence, the choice to require clear and honest labelling mentions on foods bearing health claims and in particular claims related to the reduction of a risk of a human disease.
28. A study i carried out on food shoppers in the US in 1997 showed that consumers were less likely to read the nutritional declaration when the pack was labelled with a health claim. Furthermore, consumers ascribed other health-related advantages to the food than those that were claimed. The study concluded that the results raised doubts about the investigation's assumptions concerning the purpose and value of health claims in helping the consumer to a healthy diet. Many would argue that there is a great risk that health claims are not easy to understand and utilise correctly, with the consequence that the consumer will not achieve the result(s) wanted. Thus there is a great risk that health claims will confuse and mislead the consumer and will not help the consumer choose a healthy diet, will not strengthen dietary and nutritional information and will not help promote nutrition policy goals. These were indeed the conclusions of a recently published report of the Nordic Council of Ministers i on the evaluation of health claims from a nutritional perspective. However, the report also concludes that health claims should be consistently regulated in order for the claims to promote nutrition policy goals, be truthful, scientifically-based, clear, reliable and of help to the consumer in choosing a healthy diet. This is what the proposal aims to achieve.
29. Health claims should therefore only be approved for use on the labelling, presentation and advertising of foods on the Community market after a scientific evaluation of the highest possible standard. In order to ensure harmonised scientific assessment of these claims, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) hereafter called the 'Authority' should carry out such assessments. In this context it is worth mentioning that the European Commission has funded valuable projects such as the Concerted Action PASSCLAIM aiming at setting principles for assessing the scientific support of health claims, and that this considerable work should be taken into account when assessing claims. As stated above, the communication of claims to the final consumer is a very important aspect. Therefore, in order to ensure that health claims are truthful, clear and reliable, in its opinion the Authority, and the subsequent authorisation procedure, should also take into account the wording of the claims assessed. The scientific assessment should be followed by a decision by the Commission, under a regulatory procedure. In summary, the authorisation procedure laid down in the proposed Regulation is as follows:
- The applicant will submit an application to the Authority;
- The Authority will give an opinion within 3 months;
- The Authority will forward its opinion to the Commission, the Member States and the applicant, and will make its opinion public. The public may make comments to the Commission;
- The Commission will prepare a draft decision within 3 months of receipt of the opinion of the Authority;
- The Commission will inform the applicant of the final decision taken. The final decision will be published on the Official Journal of the European Communities;
- A summary of the final decision will also be included in the 'Register'.
The 3 months time-limit for the Commission to prepare a draft Decision is an indication of the maximum time allowed for completing this step. In practice, the average time actually needed should be lower. The evaluation of the application of the Regulation foreseen in Article 25 of the proposal will provide an opportunity to in particular revisit this matter.
30. Being based on long-established and non-controversial science, health claims that describe the role of a nutrient or other substance in growth, development and normal physiological functions of the body shall undergo a different type of assessment and approval prior to their use in the labelling, presentation and advertising of foods. It is therefore proposed to adopt a list of permitted claims describing the role of a nutrient or other substance in growth, development and normal physiological functions of the body following the opinion of the Authority. The compilation and adoption of this list of health claims shall be done within a 3-year period. In the meantime, it is however necessary to provide the possibility for national authorities to apply safeguard measures in order to verify the scientific substantiation of these claims and/or their conformity with the provisions laid down in this Regulation, and, where necessary, to temporarily suspend the use of such claims and refer the matter to the Community. The valuable work carried out in the Consensus Document on Scientific Concepts of Functional Foods in Europe, prepared in the context of the Commission's Concerted Action on Functional Food Science in Europe (FUFOSE), shall be take into account in the compilation of this list.
31. For the sake of transparency and in order to avoid the repetition of applications of health claims that have already been assessed and for those health claims that have gone through the Community procedure, a 'Register' of such claims shall be established and regularly updated.
32. There are no budgetary implications for the Commission.
- - The above-mentionned ' Register ' will be established as a section of DG SANCO's Web-site, using existing budgetary and human resources.
- - The regulatory committee mentionned in Article 23 is the existing Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health instituted by Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 ; decisions under this Proposal will be dealt with by the Section on General Food Law of the Committee, which currently meets 6 times a year ; implementation of this proposal will not result in more meetings of this Section being organised.
- - The management of the Community procedures foreseen in this proposal will not require additional staffing as current infringement procedures should be significantly reduced.
33. The proposed rules would contribute to a high level of protection of human health and promote the protection of consumer interests by ensuring that foods bearing nutrition and health claims are labelled and advertised in an adequate and clear manner allowing consumers to make informed choices. Thus they would be in line with the general principles and requirements of food law as stipulated in Articles 5-8 of the recently adopted Regulation (EC) 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council i and with Article 153 of the Treaty. The proposed rules would also take into account the importance for the food industry to have a regulatory environment that will allow them to innovate and remain competitive at Community and international level.