ABSTRACT
Title
Nutraceuticals: currentregulatory framework and trends
Authors
B. Scarpa
Ministero della Salute
Direzione generale sicurezza alimenti e nutrizione – Ufficio IV
Ministero della Salute
Direzione generale sicurezza alimenti e nutrizione – Ufficio IV
Abstract
The improvement in food law has led to the possibility of communicate the physiological properties of foods, in order to give the consumer the necessary information to make choices in full knowledge of the facts.
Likewise,outsideofanylegal definition, ithas emergedtheterm"nutraceuticals", which refers tofood productsable of performinghealth effectsdueto the presence of specificconstituent.
TheRegulation(EC) 1924/2006onnutritionandhealth claimsmade onfoods lays down detailed provisions concerning the use of all the claimsmadeonfoods, either inthelabellingor the advertising. Those “claims” are notlimitedto thenutritional contentbut also to thepossibleeffects on thehealthofthatparticularfood, and mayevenreferto thereductionofdisease risk.
The use ofsuchstatementsisonly possibleifthey areobjective, scientificallybasedandunderstandableby the consumer.
In fact, an healthclaimmust beauthorised for use in the Community after a scientific assessment, whichismade on a caseby case evaluationaftercarefulscientific assessment byEFSA on the basisofthe datasubmitted, whichmustalso includespeciallydesignedclinical studies.
Therefore,in the current regulatory framework,a “nutraceutical” product may be identified as a foodthat can legitimatelybear an healthclaimpermitted underRegulation(EC) 1924/2006, given its particular nature.
Likewise,outsideofanylegal definition, ithas emergedtheterm"nutraceuticals", which refers tofood productsable of performinghealth effectsdueto the presence of specificconstituent.
TheRegulation(EC) 1924/2006onnutritionandhealth claimsmade onfoods lays down detailed provisions concerning the use of all the claimsmadeonfoods, either inthelabellingor the advertising. Those “claims” are notlimitedto thenutritional contentbut also to thepossibleeffects on thehealthofthatparticularfood, and mayevenreferto thereductionofdisease risk.
The use ofsuchstatementsisonly possibleifthey areobjective, scientificallybasedandunderstandableby the consumer.
In fact, an healthclaimmust beauthorised for use in the Community after a scientific assessment, whichismade on a caseby case evaluationaftercarefulscientific assessment byEFSA on the basisofthe datasubmitted, whichmustalso includespeciallydesignedclinical studies.
Therefore,in the current regulatory framework,a “nutraceutical” product may be identified as a foodthat can legitimatelybear an healthclaimpermitted underRegulation(EC) 1924/2006, given its particular nature.