Big hopes for EFSA’s big health claim day

15-Jun-2009 - Shane Starling reports from the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) much anticipated industry stakeholders’ meeting about health claims in Brussels today.

Industry demands 'urgent' article 13.1 EU health claims dialogue

15-Jun-2009 - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) should shelve plans to publish its first batch of 1024 article 13.1 health claims by the end of July until a dialogue can be opened with an increasingly apprehensive industry to clarify key aspects of the scientific assessment process, trade groups have said.

Tetley red-carded over UK green tea ad

09-Jun-2009 - The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has told Tetley Tea to amend advertising for a green tea product that implied antioxidant-derived energy and health benefits.

Weekly comment

A big day for European health claims

08-Jun-2009 - Next Monday, June 15, is a big day for the European healthy foods and food supplements industries. Let’s call it Big Monday. Or J15.

EFSA returns 2000+ health claims to EC for clarification

08-Jun-2009 - The European Botanical Forum (EBF) says the European Union nutrition and health claims process cannot “credibly proceed” in a climate where about half of the 4000+ health claims received by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have been returned to the EC for further clarification.

EC moves to block health claim withdrawals

04-Jun-2009 - The European Commission and European Union member states are moving to halt the flood of nutrition and health claim withdrawals in a bid to preserve what it is calling “transparency in the regulation”.

Time for a health claims time-out, says industry

03-Jun-2009 - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) should delay publishing the first batch of 1024 article 13.1 generic health claims due by the end of July, a meeting was told in Brussels yesterday, as industry concern about its “innovation-killing” effect reaches fever pitch.

EU health claim rules blamed for R&D brain drain

03-Jun-2009 - At a health claims meeting attended by regulators, politicians and regulators, held in Brussels yesterday, one of the major concerns voiced was the stifling effect on innovation the process was having.

EC publishes health claim comments

29-May-2009 - DG Sanco, the European Commission’s health and consumer protection arm, has published comments made to it by concerned parties about varying health claim opinions as they have come in from the European Food safety Authority (EFSA).

EFSA health claim opinion

Tomato extract wins EFSA blood aggregation health claim

28-May-2009 - UK-based Provexis Natural Products Limited has won a positive article 13.5 claim linking tomato concentrate consumption and blood platelet aggregation from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

EC commissioner: 2010 health claims deadline will not be met

28-May-2009 - The EC’s Basil Mathioudakis has admitted that the January, 2010, deadline for all nutrition and health claim submissions to be processed in the European Union is unrealistic and will not be achieved.

EFSA issues health claims help

26-May-2009 - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a Q&A (question and answer) in advance of its stakeholders meeting in Brussels on June 15, to help industry better understand the nutrition and health claims process.

Are cranberry PACs all they are cracked up to be?

15-May-2009 - In a NutraIngredients.com round table discussion, three leading cranberry suppliers discuss the merits of proanthocyanidins (PACs) in benefiting urinary tract infections(UTIs).

Time for an EU health claims rethink

14-May-2009 - In a NutraIngredients.com round table discussion, DSM’s Bas van Buijtenen expresses widespread industry concern with the EU nutrition and health claims process, while Cantox’s Nigel Baldwin tells us what we should expect from next month’s meeting with EFSA.

Dispatches from Vitafoods

The true cost of health claims and why patience is a virtue

11-May-2009 - Are health claims dossiers really that expensive, and has the ‘wait and see’ approach to submitting dossiers won? Stephen Daniells speaks to Joerg Gruenwald, PhD, President of Analyze & Realize, about how much it costs to compile a dossier, and why it’s better to wait than rush a health claims proposal.

Danone plays waiting game on health claims

11-May-2009 - After taking part in a Pharmanager seminar at Vitafoods in Geneva, Dr Jean-Michel Antoine, a 30-year research and development veteran at Danone, tells Shane Starling why the French dairy firm has pulled three article 13.5 probiotic yoghurt claims from the European Union nutrition and health claims process.

Dispatches from Vitafoods

EFSA scientist offers rejected health claim hope

07-May-2009 - The presentation of science backing some health claims, as well as problematic wording, have been the culprits behind some European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) article 13.5 and article 14 health claim rejections and not the science per se, according to an EFSA scientist.

Potent 30 per cent PAC cranberry extract launched

22-Apr-2009 - Lallemand Health Ingredients and Decas Botanical Synergies have debuted a cranberry extract with 30 per cent proanthocyanidins (PACs), a level they say is the highest in the world.

‘You are not number one’, ASA tells Healthspan

22-Apr-2009 - The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has told Healthspan, a Guernsey-based distributor of food supplements to cease making claims that it is the number one supplier of “vitamins and supplements” in the UK.

Danone awaits EFSA guidance on probiotic health claims

20-Apr-2009 - French dairy giant Danone has withdrawn claims from the controversial EU nutrition and health claim process because it is waiting for procedural guidance from the claims assessment agency, the European Food safety Authority (EFSA).

Danone bins EU probiotic gut health claim submissions

17-Apr-2009 - French dairy giant Danone has withdrawn the EU health claim applications for its market leading probiotic yoghurt products Activia and Actimel.

French cranberry claim unaffected by EFSA stance, says Ocean Spray

17-Apr-2009 - The world’s only officially mandated cranberry health claim will not be affected by the recent rejection of a similar claim at European Union level, according to the company that submitted the claim, Ocean Spray.

EFSA health claim opinion

EFSA rejects Merck omega-3 health claim

16-Apr-2009 - DHA does not benefit visual or cognitive development in infants and unborn babies, according to two article 14 opinions published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) today.

China approves allergy-battling probiotics

16-Apr-2009 - Stock market-listed Taiwanese probiotics specialist, GenMont, has won “health food designation” from the Chinese Department of Health for two of its probiotics for use in food and beverage products.