EU, U.S., and Third World Country Regulations and Japanese Legislation - Sweeteners: Nutritional Aspects, Applications, and Production Technology - page 305

andbeveragescontainingglycyrrhizinicacidoritsammoniumsaltasaresultoftheadditionofthe
substance(s)assuchorthelicoriceplant Glycyrrhiza glabra atconcentrationsof50mg/loraboveor
of300mg/loraboveinthecaseofbeveragescontainingmorethan1.2%bythevolumeofalcohol
shouldbelabeledasfollows:“Containslicorice.Peoplesufferingfromhypertensionshouldavoid
excessive consumption.” For foodstuffs that may contain more than 10% added polyols, labeling
shouldindicatethatexcessiveconsumptionmayproducelaxativeeffects,etc.
10.2.5 Nutrition and health Claims regulation
Regulation(EC)N1924/2006oftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilonNutritionand
HealthClaimsmadeonfoodswasadoptedon20December2006.Thisregulationlaysdownhar-
monizedrulesfortheuseofnutritionandhealthclaimsandcontributestoahighlevelofconsumer
protection.ItensuresthatanyclaimmadeonafoodlabelintheEUisclear,accurate,andsubstanti-
ated,enablingconsumerstomakeinformedandmeaningfulchoices.Theregulationalsoaimsat
ensuringfaircompetitionandpromotingandprotectinginnovationintheareaoffood.
10.2.5.1 Comparative Claims
Aclaimisahealthclaimif,inthenamingofthesubstanceorcategoryofsubstances,thereisa
descriptionorindicationoffunctionalityoranimpliedeffectonhealth.
ItshouldbenotedthatallclaimsaresubjecttothegeneralprincipleslaiddowninArticles3
and5.Inthecaseoftheclaim“contains,”thismeansthesubstancesubjecttotheclaimispresentin
asigniicantquantityandhasbeenshowntohaveabeneicialnutritionalorphysiologicaleffect.In
addition,theuseofhealthandnutritionclaimstriggersanobligationtoprovidenutritionalinforma-
tionpursuanttoDirective90/496/EECinaccordancewithArticle7oftheregulation.
10.2.5.2 Reduced [Name of Nutrient]
Aclaimstatingthatthecontentofoneormorenutrientshasbeenreducedandanyclaimlikely
tohavethesamemeaningfortheconsumermayonlybemadewherethereductionincontentisat
least30%comparedtoasimilarproduct,exceptformicronutrients,wherea10%differenceinthe
referencevaluesassetinDirective90/496/EECwouldbeacceptable,andforsodiumortheequiva-
lentvalueforsalt,wherea25%differencewouldbeacceptable.
10.2.5.3 Energy-Reduced
Aclaimthatafoodisenergyreducedandanyclaimlikelytohavethesamemeaningforthe
consumermayonlybemadewheretheenergyvalueisreducedbyatleast30%,withanindication
ofthecharacteristic(s)thatmake(s)thefoodreducedinitstotalenergyvalue.
10.2.5.4 Light/Lite
Aclaimstatingthataproductis“light”or“lite”andanyclaimlikelytohavethesamemeaning
fortheconsumershallfollowthesameconditionsasthosesetfortheterm“reduced.”Theclaim
shallalsobeaccompaniedbyanindicationofthecharacteristic(s)thatmake(s)thefoodlightorlite
(SCF2007).
Forexample,foralabelstating“light—50%lesssugars,”whenthenutrientisremovedfromthe
compositionoftheproduct,thisindicationcanbeprovidedbyaclaimreferringtothisabsenceof
nutrient,forexample,“light—nosugars.”