10 - Regulatory Issues

Abstract

Within the European Union, a number of nutrition and health claims can be made for lipid-containing foods. Many of these relate to cardiovascular health, with permitted clams for the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol and normal blood pressure and for a reduction in blood cholesterol. Heart health claims are permitted for docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acid (DHA and EPA, respectively), as it is a claim that relates to the maintenance of normal (fasting) blood triglycerides. In addition, a number of claims are permitted for DHA, but only these relate to vision and brain development. The essential fatty acids, α-linolenic acid and linoleic acid, are recognized as being needed for normal growth and development of children, and a claim to this effect has been permitted. A large number of nutrition content claims also exist: low-fat, low saturates, high in unsaturates, source of omega-3 fatty acids, and so on. These claims appear widely on foods, while the cholesterol-lowering health claims primarily can be found on compliant foods containing plant stanols/sterols, the omega-3 claims on fish and fish products, α-linolenic acid claims on vegetable oils and spreads, and the DHA claims on infant foods and supplements.