Health and Nutrition
The National Edible Oil Distributors’ Association
HEALTH AND NUTRITION CLAIMS
An increasing number of foods sold in the EU bear nutrition and health claims. A nutrition claim states or suggests that a food has beneficial nutritional properties, such as “low fat”, “no added sugar” and “high in fibre”. A health claim is any statement on labels, advertising or other marketing products that health benefits can result from consuming a given food, for instance that a food can help maintain blood pressure or cardiac function.
Nutrition claims are an important tool for NEODA members to be able to accurately inform consumers on relevant and useful nutrients in vegetable bottled oils and enable them to make informed and meaningful choices.
Today, the main nutrition claims of interest for our sector are for polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA); monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA); Omega-3 fatty acids, and unsaturated fatty acids. Other claims of interest for the sector relate to Omega-6 fatty acids, Omega-9 fatty acids, the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids as well as cholesterol. However, there are conflicting views within the EU as to the relevance and benefit of these claims for consumers.
The European Food Safety Authority has a duty to ensure that all Nutrition Claims made on products sold within the European market are accurate and scientifically sound. The following claims are authorised for use by NEODA members:-
SOURCE OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
A claim that a food is a source of omega-3 fatty acids, and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer, may only be made where the product contains at least 0,3 g alpha-linolenic acid per 100 g and per 100 kcal, or at least 40 mg of the sum of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid per 100 g and per 100 kcal.
HIGH OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
A claim that a food is high in omega-3 fatty acids, and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer, may only be made where the product contains at least 0,6 g alpha-linolenic acid per 100 g and per 100 kcal, or at least 80 mg of the sum of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid per 100 g and per 100 kcal.
HIGH MONOUNSATURATED FAT
A claim that a food is high in monounsaturated fat, and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer, may only be made where at least 45 % of the fatty acids present in the product derive from monounsaturated fat under the condition that monounsaturated fat provides more than 20 % of energy of the product.
HIGH POLYUNSATURATED FAT
A claim that a food is high in polyunsaturated fat, and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer, may only be made where at least 45 % of the fatty acids present in the product derive from polyunsaturated fat under the condition that polyunsaturated fat provides more than 20 % of energy of the product.
HIGH UNSATURATED FAT
A claim that a food is high in unsaturated fat, and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer may only be made where at least 70 % of the fatty acids present in the product derive from unsaturated fat under the condition that unsaturated fat provides more than 20 % of energy of the product.’