CXG_023e

1NutritionandHealthClaims(CAC/GL23-1997)Adoptedin1997.Revisedin2004.Amendedin2001,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012and2013.Annexadopted2009.GUIDELINESFORUSEOFNUTRITIONANDHEALTHCLAIMSCAC/GL23-1997Nutritionclaimsshouldbeconsistentwithnationalnutritionpolicyandsupportthatpolicy.Onlynutritionclaimsthatsupportnationalnutritionpolicyshouldbeallowed.Healthclaimsshouldbeconsistentwithnationalhealthpolicy,includingnutritionpolicy,andsupportsuchpolicieswhereapplicable.Healthclaimsshouldbesupportedbyasoundandsufficientbodyofscientificevidencetosubstantiatetheclaim,providetruthfulandnon-misleadinginformationtoaidconsumersinchoosinghealthfuldietsandbesupportedbyspecificconsumereducation.Theimpactofhealthclaimsonconsumers’eatingbehavioursanddietarypatternsshouldbemonitored,ingeneral,bycompetentauthorities.Claimsofthetypedescribedinsection3.4oftheCodexGeneralGuidelinesonClaimsareprohibited.1.SCOPE1.1Theseguidelinesrelatetotheuseofnutritionandhealthclaimsinfoodlabellingand,whererequiredbytheauthoritieshavingjurisdiction,inadvertising1.1.2TheseguidelinesapplytoallfoodsforwhichnutritionandhealthclaimsaremadewithoutprejudicetospecificprovisionsunderCodexstandardsorGuidelinesrelatingtoFoodsforSpecialDietaryUsesandFoodsforSpecialMedicalPurposes.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”.)2.1.3Non-additionclaimmeansanyclaimthataningredienthasnotbeenaddedtoafood,eitherdirectlyorindirectly.Theingredientisonewhosepresenceoradditionispermittedinthefoodandwhichconsumerswouldnormallyexpecttofindinthefood.2.2Healthclaimmeansanyrepresentationthatstates,suggests,orimpliesthatarelationshipexistsbetweenafoodoraconstituentofthatfoodandhealth.Healthclaimsincludethefollowing:1Advertisingmeansanycommercialcommunicationtothepublic,byanymeansotherthanlabelling,inordertopromotedirectlyorindirectly,thesaleorintakeofafoodthroughtheuseofnutritionandhealthclaimsinrelationtothefoodanditsingredients.2NutritionandHealthClaims(CAC/GL23-1997)2.2.1Nutrientfunctionclaims–anutritionclaimthatdescribesthephysiologicalroleofthenutrientingrowth,developmentandnormalfunctionsofthebody.Example:“NutrientA(namingaphysiologicalroleofnutrientAinthebodyinthemaintenanceofhealthandpromotionofnormalgrowthanddevelopment).FoodXisasourceof/highinnutrientA.”2.2.2Otherfunctionclaims–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.NUTRIENTCONTENTCLAIMS5.1WhenanutrientcontentclaimthatislistedintheTabletotheseGuidelinesor