Nutrition Claims On Our Food

Did you know that food companies can link their foods to health benefits?

Food companies are permitted to link foods to health benefits provided they can prove the relationship exists. The burden of proof remains with the food company who has to follow a rigorous process of systematic literature review. The regulatory body then has to be notified of the claim otherwise it cannot appear on the packaging.

There are two types of health claims

• General level health claims refer to a nutrient or substance in a food and its effect on a health function e.g. calcium for strong bones.
• High level health claims refer to a nutrient or substance in a food and its relationship to a disease or to a biomarker of a disease e.g. calcium to reduce the risk of osteoporotic fracture.
  

There are also a number of pre-approved health claims in the standard that can be used without going through the review process. These are usually related to vitamins and minerals e.g. iron contributes is necessary for normal oxygen transport.