Nutrition, Health and the Consumer:
An overview of activities in the EU
Basil Mathioudakis
Head of Unit E.4, Nutrition, food composition and
information
Health and Consumers Directorate General
TGDF Congress, Antalya, 12-14 November 2013
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Nutrition and Health
EU Strategy
• Better informed consumers:
• Nutrition labelling
• Nutrition and health claims
• Scientific information and education campaign
• Making the healthy option available
• Promoting the consumption of fruits and vegetables
• Promoting the reformulation of foods to:
• reduce the levels of certain nutrients
• Improving the nutrient content of manufactured
foods
• Regulating specific categories of foods
• Encouraging physical activity
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Variety of actions
Binding legal measures:
• Regulation on Food Information to Consumers (FIC)
• Regulation on nutrition and health claims (NHC)
• Regulations on specific categories of foods
Voluntary measures:
• Pledges in the context of the EU Platform for Action
on Diet, Physical Activity and Health
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Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the
Provision of food information to
consumers
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Mandatory particulars
• Maintains the required information under
Directive 2000/13
IN ADDITION
• Nutritional Information becomes mandatory
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Nutrition information
Mandatory
• energy (kilojoules and kilocalories)
• fat
• saturates
• carbohydrate
• sugars
• protein
• salt (sodium expressed as “salt” equivalents)
Commission report by 13 December 2014
• +trans fats?
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Which other nutrients may be declared
The mandatory nutritional declaration can also
be completed by an indication of the quantity of
one or more of the following:
a) mono-unsaturates
b) polyunsaturates
c) polyols
d) starch
e) fibre
f) vitamins and minerals
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Non pre-packed food & alcoholic drinks
The content of the nutritional declaration can be
limited to:
A) In the case of non-prepacked foods
• The energy value or
• The energy value including the fat, saturates,
sugars and salt content
May be given only per portion or consumption unit
B) In the case of alcoholic beverages
• The energy value
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Front-of-pack nutrition information
• Voluntary front-of-pack labelling for
• energy alone
OR
• energy, fat, saturates, sugars and salt
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Additional forms of presentation and
expression of the nutrient declaration
Rationale
• Extensively discussed during the negotiations
• Lack of evidence across the Union on how the
average consumer understands and uses such
information
• Aim is to allow further developments within a
frame
• Experience will show if further harmonisation is
needed
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Criteria for additional forms of presentation
and expression of the nutrient declaration
(a) Based on sound and scientifically valid consumer
research, not misleading the consumer
(b) Stakeholder consultation
(c) Aim to facilitate consumer understanding
(d) Supported by scientific evidence of understanding
by the average consumer
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Criteria for additional forms of presentation
and expression of the nutrient declaration
(e) In the case of other forms of expression, they are based
either on the harmonised reference intakes, or in their
absence, on generally accepted scientific advice
(f) Objective and non-discriminatory
(g) Their application does not hinder free movement of
goods
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Additional Forms of Expression and
Presentation
• Can be developed and used by food business operators
• Member States may recommend to businesses one or
more schemes which best fulfill the criteria, and provide
the Commission with details
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Monitoring, consistency and sharing of best
practices
• Member States may require food business operators
notification of additional forms of expression or
presentation and provision of justifications regarding
compliance with the criteria
• The Commission shall facilitate and organise the exchange
of information between Member States, itself and
stakeholders
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Application of the new rules
• From 13 December 2014…
• … with exception of information related to
mandatory nutrition labelling, which shall apply
from 13 December 2016
• Voluntary nutrition labelling after 13 December
2014 shall comply with Regulation (EU)
1169/2011
• Exhaustion of stocks
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Permitted claims on the market
• Only authorised claims can be made
• Subject to principles and conditions
• Limited flexibility allowed for wording
• Compliance with specific conditions of use AND
• Compliance with other general principles and conditions
• Subject to compliance with nutrient profiles
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Union lists of claims
• Nutrition claims - List of permitted claims in Annex of
Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006
• Amendments to the Annex
• Health claims – Lists of permitted claims
• “Function” claims
• Reduction of disease risk claims
• Claims referring to children’s development and health
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Claims, where do we stand today?
30
permitted
nutrition
claims
253
permitted
health
claims
1851 not
authorised
health
claims
2095 health
claims under
consideration
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EU Register
• Interactive database
• List of permitted claims with wording, condition
of use, restrictions
• List of non-authorised claims with reasons
• Useful additional information for stakeholders
• http://ec.europa.eu/nuhclaims/
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Nutrient profiles
• Foods can bear claims if they comply with nutrient profiles
• Derogations foreseen for nutrition claims
• Strong opposition from some food sectors / Some support from
other sectors
• Strong support for the concept, from consumer and health
NGOs
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EU Platform for Action on Diet,
Physical Activity and Health
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The EU Platform for Action on Diet,
Physical Activity and Health
Since 2005: a multi stakeholder & voluntary
approach
33 EU Platform members including: Industry,
Public Health NGOs, Health Professionals, Consumer
Groups
Members meet 4 times a year at Plenary meetings
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The EU Platform for Action on Diet,
Physical Activity and Health
• 256 commitments (123 active, 133 non-active)
• 6 activity types
1.
Consumer information, including labelling
2.
Education, including lifestyle modification
3.
Physical activity promotion
4.
Marketing & advertising
5.
Composition of foods (reformulation),
availability of health food options,
portion sizes
6.
Advocacy & information exchange
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Consumers
Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 of the European
Parliament and the Council on food intended for
infants and young children, food for special
medical purposes and total diet replacement for
weight control
The Regulation on
Food for Specific Groups
(FSG Regulation)
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Obligations and deadlines
By July 2015:
• Infant formulae (IF) and follow-on formulae (FF)
• Processed cereal-based foods and baby foods
• Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs)
• Total Diet Replacement products for weight control including
Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCDs)
Rules on 'gluten-free' and 'very low gluten' under FIC, July 15
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Obligations and deadlines (2)
Reports - by July 2015 – on:
• Milk-based drinks and similar products intended for young
children (so-called 'growing up milks')
• Foods intended for sports people
 Consider necessity of rules
 After EFSA's consultation
 May be accompanied by legislative proposals
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