CACGL 23 1997 Guidelines for Use of Nutrition and

CAC/GL23Page1of5GUIDELINESFORUSEOFNUTRITIONANDHEALTHCLAIMSCAC/GL23-1997,Rev.1-20041Nutritionclaimsshouldbeconsistentwithnationalnutritionpolicyandsupportthatpolicy.Onlynutritionclaimsthatsupportnationalnutritionpolicyshouldbeallowed.Healthclaimsshouldbeconsistentwithnationalhealthpolicy,includingnutritionpolicy,andsupportsuchpolicieswhereapplicable.Healthclaimsshouldbesupportedbyasoundandsufficientbodyofscientificevidencetosubstantiatetheclaim,providetruthfulandnon-misleadinginformationtoaidconsumersinchoosinghealthfuldietsandbesupportedbyspecificconsumereducation.Theimpactofhealthclaimsonconsumers’eatingbehavioursanddietarypatternsshouldbemonitored,ingeneral,bycompetentauthorities.Claimsofthetypedescribedinsection3.4oftheCodexGeneralGuidelinesonClaimsareprohibited1.SCOPE1.1Theseguidelinesrelatetotheuseofnutritionandhealthclaimsinfoodlabellingand,whererequiredbytheauthoritieshavingjurisdiction,inadvertising.1.2TheseguidelinesapplytoallfoodsforwhichnutritionandhealthclaimsaremadewithoutprejudicetospecificprovisionsunderCodexstandardsorGuidelinesrelatingtoFoodsforSpecialDietaryUsesandFoodsforSpecialMedicalPurposes.1.3TheseguidelinesareintendedtosupplementtheCodexGeneralGuidelinesonClaimsanddonotsupersedeanyprohibitionscontainedtherein.1.4NutritionandhealthclaimsshallnotbepermittedforfoodsforinfantsandyoungchildrenexceptwherespecificallyprovidedforinrelevantCodexstandardsornationallegislation.2.DEFINITIONS2.1Nutritionclaimmeansanyrepresentationwhichstates,suggestsorimpliesthatafoodhasparticularnutritionalpropertiesincludingbutnotlimitedtotheenergyvalueandtothecontentofprotein,fatandcarbohydrates,aswellasthecontentofvitaminsandminerals.Thefollowingdonotconstitutenutritionclaims:(a)thementionofsubstancesinthelistofingredients;(b)thementionofnutrientsasamandatorypartofnutritionlabelling;(c)quantitativeorqualitativedeclarationofcertainnutrientsoringredientsonthelabelifrequiredbynationallegislation.2.1.1Nutrientcontentclaimisanutritionclaimthatdescribesthelevelofanutrientcontainedinafood.(Examples:sourceofcalcium;highinfibreandlowinfat;)2.1.2NutrientComparativeclaimisaclaimthatcomparesthenutrientlevelsand/orenergyvalueoftwoormorefoods.(Examples:reduced;lessthan;fewer;increased;morethan.)2.2Healthclaimmeansanyrepresentationthatstates,suggests,orimpliesthatarelationshipexistsbetweenafoodoraconstituentofthatfoodandhealth.Healthclaimsincludethefollowing:2.2.1NutrientFunctionClaims-anutritionclaimthatdescribesthephysiologicalroleofthenutrientingrowth,developmentandnormalfunctionsofthebody.Example:“NutrientA(namingaphysiologicalroleofnutrientAinthebodyinthemaintenanceofhealthandpromotionofnormalgrowthanddevelopment).FoodXisasourceof/highinnutrientA.”1TheCodexGuidelinesforUseofNutritionClaimswereadoptedbytheCodexAlimentariusCommissionatits22ndSession(1997)andamendedatits24thSession(2001).TheGuidelineswererevisedatits27thSession(2004)withtheinsertionofprovisionsforhealthclaims.CAC/GL23Page2of52.2.2OtherFunctionClaims-Theseclaimsconcernspecificbeneficialeffectsoftheconsumptionoffoodsortheirconstituents,inthecontextofthetotaldietonnormalfunctionsorbiologicalactivitiesofthebody.Suchclaimsrelatetoapositivecontributiontohealthortotheimprovementofafunctionortomodifyingorpreservinghealth.Examples:“SubstanceA(namingtheeffectofsubstanceAonimprovingormodifyingaphysiologicalfunctionorbiologicalactivityassociatedwithhealth).FoodYcontainsxgramsofsubstanceA.”2.2.3Reductionofdiseaseriskclaims-Claimsrelatingtheconsumptionofafoodorfoodconstituent,inthecontextofthetotaldiet,tothereducedriskofdevelopingadiseaseorhealth-relatedcondition.Riskreductionmeanssignificantlyalteringamajorriskfactor(s)foradiseaseorhealth-relatedcondition.Diseaseshavemultipleriskfactorsandalteringoneoftheseriskfactorsmayormaynothaveabeneficialeffect.Thepresentationofriskreductionclaimsmustensure,forexample,byuseofappropriatelanguageandreferencetootherriskfactors,thatconsumersdonotinterpretthemaspreventionclaims.Examples:“AhealthfuldietlowinnutrientorsubstanceAmayreducetheriskofdiseaseD.FoodXislowinnutrientorsubstanceA”“AhealthfuldietrichinnutrientorsubstanceAmayreducetheriskofdiseaseD.FoodXishighinnutrientorsubstanceA”3.NUTRITIONLABELLINGAnyfoodforwhichanutritionorhealthclaimismadeshouldbelabelledwithanutrientdeclarationinaccordancewithSection3oftheCodexGuidelinesonNutritionLabelling.4.NUTRITIONCLAIMS4.1Theonlynutritionclaimspermittedshallbethoserelatingtoenergy,protein,carbohydrate,andfatandcomponentsthereof,fibre,sodiumandvitaminsandmineralsforwhichNutrientReferenceValues(NRVs)havebeenlaiddownintheCodexGuidelinesforNutritionLabelling.5.NUTRIENTCONTENTCLAIMS5.1WhenanutrientcontentclaimthatislistedintheTabletotheseGuidelinesorasynonymousclaimismade,theconditionsspecifiedintheTableforthatclaimshouldapply.5.2Whereafoodisbyitsnaturelowinorfreeofthenutrientthatisthesubjectoftheclaim,thetermdescribingthelevelofthenutrientshouldnotimmediatelyprecedethenameofthefoodbutshouldbeintheformalow(namingthenutrient)foodora(namingthenutrient)-freefood.6.COMPARATIVECLAIMSComparativecl