10. Food and health claims

Question 1

What are the three growth trends in the food market?

Answer 1

Health(modifiction to nutrition content), convenience(in response to changing lifestyle) and indulgence(for people to treat themselves)
costumers buy thighs that meet those 3 requirments

others:
fair trade
animal welfare
sustainability

Question 2

What’s the content of te main helath claims?

Answer 2

overnutrition
hidden hunger
diabters
CVD
cancer
bone disease
ecc

Question 3

Examples of labels:

Answer 3

Melts fat ovenight
antioxidants
increases performance
lifespan extension complex

Question 4

What is a CLAIM?

Answer 4

Any representation which states, suggest or implies that a food has particular characteristics relating his origin or nutritional properties or nature or processing…

IT’S about CONTEXT and client EXPECTATIONS
trademarks, product names, sequence of visuals in TV commercial, front of pack ingrediet…
It doesn’t mattere where the claim is put!

Question 5

What is a nutrition claim?

Answer 5

Any claim which implies that food has particular BENEFICIAL NUTRITIONAL PROPERTIES due to energy or nutrient or other

Question 6

Regulation about SUGARS:

Answer 6

low sugar: max 5 g per 100 g solid and 2.5 per 100 ml
sugar free max 0.5 g of sugars
NO added sugar: no mono or disaccharides or any sweetener
reduced sugar: reduction of sugars of at least 30%

Question 7

What is health claim?

Answer 7

Any representstion that implies that a releshionship exists between a food or a costituen of that food and helath

Question 8

Why do we need regulation on health calims?

Answer 8

contribute a high level of consumers protection
garatee right of information to consumers
help consumers make informed choices
prevent practices that may mislead the consumers
simplify the law
avoid unfair commertial practices
achieve free movment of foods

Question 9

health claims in EU

Answer 9

Regulation entered in 2007

to stimulate the scientific requirments related to a nutrition or health claim

Question 10

Whats’s the scientic criteria fot evaluation of helath claims?

Answer 10

generally accepted scientific evidence

taking into account the totality of available scientific data and wheight the evidence

Question 11

What a claim must not do:

Answer 11

be false, ambigous or misleding
give rise to doubt about safety or nutritional adequacy of other foods
encourage excess consumption
say taht a balanced diet does not provide enough quantities of nutriends

Question 12

What article 13 regulation (EC) says?

Answer 12

Health claim:
it refers to role of a nutrient in growth development and the fuction of the body
psychological and behavioural functions
weight control reduction of hanger or icrease sense of satiety

Contain probiotics
contain antioxidants

Question 13

What article 14 regulation (EC) says?

Answer 13

Reduction of disease risk claims:

consumption of a food reduces risk factor in the development of a disease

Question 14

What’s EFSA?

Answer 14

European food safety authority

EFSA advices help to protect consumers, animals, environment from food related risks

Question 15

Whts’ EFSA mission?

Answer 15

To provide scientific advice and scientific and technical support on human nutrition in relation to Community legislation

Question 16

How are health calims evaluated? 4 regualtory principles:

Answer 16

1. Non misleading
2. True
3. Not medical
4. Safe for the general popoulation

Question 17

EFSA role in evaluation of health:

Answer 17

Health claims are authorized only after scientidfic assessment made by EFSA

Question 18

What is a risk factor?

Answer 18

A risk factor is associated with the risk of a disease thaty may lead to development of that disease
For reduction of risk factor:
risk factor is predictor of disease risk
relationship between risk factor to development of disease is biologically plausible
ex:
elevated LDL cholesterol for risk of coronary diseases

Question 19

How a food should be characterized?

Answer 19

clearly defined and measurable
claim based on studies performed with particular nutrients
for plant products, scientific name, part and preparation should be characterized.
for microorganisms species and genetic type identification
for manufacturing processes information shold show cosisntency

Question 20

main issues by the NDA panel :

Answer 20

food-constituent is defined and characterised
claimed effect is a beneficial phycological effect
a cause effect reletionship is established between consuption of food and claimed effect

Question 21

Evidence hieatchy in the nutrition sciences:

Answer 21

Human studies: (randomized controlled trials
observation studies
Mechanistic studies:
animal studies and in vistro studies

Question 22

Which are the outcomes of a scientific assessment?

Answer 22

1. cause effect relationship has been established
2. evidence provided in insufficient
3. there is no relationship

Question 23

How NDA panel decide if a claim id substantiated?

Answer 23

there is no established formula as to what type or how many studies are needed to substantiate the claim
all evidence is weighted in respect to streght, consistency biologal plausibility
assessing if a specif group is the target
human studies are central for support the claim

Question 24

What are the pertinet studies?

Answer 24

have the studies been carried with the food?
have human studies used an appropriate outcome?
are the condition equal?
is the chosen group representative?
how the evidence support the claim?

Question 25

what happens if cause effect are supported?

Answer 25

evakuation of quantity offood to have benefitial effect
proposed conditions are appropriate
claim is ased on data

Question 26

examples to health claims:

Answer 26

copper continute to normal metabolism
iron contribute to normal oxygen in the body
live coltures in yogurt can help digest lactose

oat beta glucans lower blood cholesterols also plant sterols
calcium and vit D are needed for notmal growth and helthybones

Question 27

What about ANTIOXIDANTS:

Answer 27

scavange reactive oxygen species
positive for longevity
FREE RADICALS: in high amount are dangerous but they are also involved in cell signaling

cell overwelmerd by radicals aging will take places or if it goes with the stress adaptation take place

Question 28

remember il caso della KINDER

Answer 28

aiuta a crescere