Health food manufacturers and leading industry experts recently met to discuss the regulation of health claims. The event organized by FederSalus and the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart was an opportunity to underline how, despite the positive trend in the food supplements market, problems still exist linked to the regulatory aspects of the market. To achieve greater clarity in assessments, dialogue between industry and supervisory authorities, harmonization of procedures and more detailed guidelines are needed. This, in summary, was what emerged from the meeting which opened with an in-depth study of the work of EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) which on 1 October 2009 published the first series of scientific opinions on health claims. The Agency's evaluation scheme is based on three points: characterization of the food or ingredient; relevance of the requested claim to human health; scientific validation of the claim. "The regulatory framework on claims is rapidly evolving. Its "horizontal" applicability also concerns products governed by specific rules, such as supplements, dietary supplements, foods with added vitamins and minerals, novel foods" explained Bruno Scarpa of the General Directorate of Safety Food and Nutrition of the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Policies.
Nutrition33 – 7 November 2009 – Year 4, Number 18
