Citicoline has won EU novel foods approval for use in food supplements and medical foods after appeasing member state concerns about the phospholipid precursor being a medicine.
Andean Grain Products has received a positive draft novel food opinion from the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) for its chia seeds – deeming them sufficiently ‘equivalent’ to those already approved for market in the EU.
In this guest article EU food law expert Luca Bucchini, PhD, explains why it is time for a serious review of the EU’s health claim system. Bringing in behavioural scientists for starters...
The €2bn EU botanical food supplements market has been boosted by France’s imminent adoption of a 600-strong, positive list based on the well-regarded BELFRIT list, according to industry sources.
If the European Court redefines obesity as a disability, the rules of responsibility could shift horribly away from the parties involved - including the food industry.
Vitabiotics’ Robert Taylor will be the new chairman of the UK Health Food Manufacturers’ Association (HFMA) succeeding Lynn Lord who has left after a year in the post. Ray Myers of Wassen takes Taylor’s vacated vice-chair seat.
The French food supplements market is set for double digit growth this year as the sector adapts to changing EU regulations around health claims, according to the chairman of the country’s biggest trade group.
“Clasado never at any point sought to make any misleading or exaggerated claims.”
UK-Jersey prebiotic specialist Clasado has had web-based, gut-immunity claims slapped down by the UK advertising watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) which found they were unauthorised under the EU nutrition and health claims regulation...
DuPont has won official approval for probiotic-based gut health claims based on its strains in Switzerland after working with a local retailer. The company hopes the latest victory will help unlock the process of approving probiotic health claims for...
Spanish supplier Biosearch Life has signed a deal with an Austrian pharma firm to supply its breast milk probiotic-based strain to food supplements in 10 central and eastern European countries.
DuPont-Danisco has won official approval for probiotic-based gut health claims based on its strains in Switzerland after working with a local retailer.
Specialised Nutrition Europe (SNE), the trade association that represents the interests of dietetic food manufacturers across the EU, has voiced concerns about the ‘current legal uncertainty’ surrounding slimming foods for overweight and obese consumers.
Dispatches from the IPA World Congress in Athens, Greece
France’s formally buoyant multi-billion euro probiotic yoghurt market will shed €420m between now and 2018 directly because of tough EU health claim laws, according to new analysis that isolates ‘the health claims effect’ for the first time.
The EU’s handling of the term ‘probiotic’ is evidence of how the state is seeking to control voluntary as well as mandatory product information through the EU nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR), according to the outspoken blogger, author and...
It has been a tumultuous few years for the European food supplements sector as it has had to learn to live under the world’s toughest health claims regime. Marketing strictures may be tighter than ever but the sector is in a good place, says the chairof...
Strong growth in the Americas and Asia is helping the probiotics industry to strong success, while the European market recovers from regulatory challenges by focusing on blends and 'piggybacking claims', say probiotics business experts.
Dispatches from the IPA World Congress in Athens, Greece
The EU’s central food science agency will next month open a consultation on immune and gut health that will inform a revised guidance that could come before year’s end and may appease sector anxiety.
From the 2014 International PlantLIBRA Conference in Vienna, Austria
As the EU’s ambitious €6m PlantLIBRA project to further botancials science drew to a close this week at a congress in Vienna, we asked the European Commission about the project’s relative merits – and whether a ‘mark 2’ was on the cards.
The European Commission has adopted new measures to reduce consumer’s maximum levels of exposure to cadmium in foods such as chocolate and infant formula.
The passing of European legislation on the use of omega-3 rich chia oil will open up the use of trendy chia in dairy products, Ingredia Nutritional believes.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has thrown out a challenge to the EU nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR) but the German lawyers behind the action say the ruling was based on a technical issue and may appeal.
The European Union nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR) – fully implemented 18 months ago – is “devastating” business as many doomsayers predicted it would, according to a new poll.
Supplement-like products that do not possess a registration under the European Union Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD), including Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs), will be banned in retail environments in the UK...
French food supplements manufacturer Arkopharma has had its ‘EU medical device’ status revoked for a cranberry product that claimed to treat urinary tract infections (UTI) in women.
Nick Henson is the Reading-based associate director at the International Food Network (IFN), a key player in the EU’s new multi-million euro, multi-partner Metabolic Syndrome-battling project, PATHWAY-27, that has health claim victories trained in its...
Industry representative Specialised Nutrition Europe (SNE) has welcomed a draft European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Scientific Opinion that “recognized” the nutritional value of infant and follow-on formula products already on the market.
EFSA last year concluded the safety profile of herbal stimulant yohimbe is inconclusive. Ban it anyway, says the chair of the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA) in this guest article.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has backtracked on a decision to close its doors on EU novel foods applications after stakeholder unrest at the UK government austerity driven measure.
Lithuania has sent a list of 182 botanicals it intends to ban in food supplements to the European Commission in a move one major supplier called “a step back” for EU harmonisation and free trade.
UK FSA: "If you are interested in submitting a novel food dossier to the EU, we advise you to contact another EU member state..."
The European Union’s central science agency must become more transparent to meet rapid technological change in food and agriculture, its likely next chief told the European Parliament this week. And conflicts of interest were not an issue.
Meso-zeaxanthin (MZ) proponent says a French government report on the fraudulent use of meso-zeaxanthin in eye health supplements casts unnecessary doubt on a safe and viable compound.
There is light at the end of the tunnel for a European whey wholesaler, as a long-running dispute over EU import duties on milk fat in whey protein is finally coming to an end.
Finnish dairy and ingredients giant Valio has inked a deal with major Norwegian food and drink maker Tine to license its LGG probiotic strain in Tine’s Biola juice range.
The European Commission over-stepped its jurisdiction with its guidance on generic descriptors, and applicants could challenge rejections, according to an EU food law expert.
Cross-border communication must be provided to combat the confusion caused by the 24 subtly different language versions of EU-approved health claims, as well as countless other cultural nuances, according to an EU food law expert.
Italy has legally adopted a harmonised list of about 1000 approved botanicals for use in food supplements, following a joint research effort with Belgium and France (BELFRIT).
The 40,000 professional and amateur runners that will spill through the streets of London this weekend for the London marathon can benefit from sports supplement use but should be wary of dangerous products, the biggest European sports nutrition group...
Europe’s largest sports nutrition group says EU-approved claims around glycaemic carbohydrates are constrained by burdensome conditions of use and should be modified to avoid consumer confusion.
Ginkgo, evening primrose, artichoke, aloe, fennel, valerian, soy, lemon balm, echinacea and blueberry are the most popular and 1-in-5 Europeans take plant food supplements (PFS), a 4-year study has concluded.
The European sports nutrition sector is emerging from regulatory limbo and moving towards full recognition as a responsible industry, says the chair of the continent’s biggest group, Dr Adam Carey, in this guest article.
UK-based Probiotics International Ltd (PIL) is replacing all references to ‘probiotics’ with ‘live bacteria’ in its marketing materials after the UK advertising watchdog ruled ‘probiotic’ to be an unauthorised implied health claim under EU rules.
A German mineral water containing four juices, sugars and sweeteners and a high dose of caffeine has failed to impress EFSA scientists, despite a dossier containing 31 supporting studies.
Higher doses of plant stanols and sterols are equally effective at reducing cholesterol in susceptible individuals, a European Commission meeting has ruled despite stanols players claiming the scientific consensus shows their version is more efficacious.
Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN) has said it will take the European Food Safety Authority to the European Court of Justice after the agency denied access to documents relating to its new science director, Juliane Kleiner, PhD.
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