BEE PRODUCTS – LEGAL STATUS HEALTH CLAIMS TO BE EVALUATED BY EFSA (EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY
BEE PRODUCTS – LEGAL STATUS HEALTH CLAIMS TO BE EVALUATED BY EFSA (EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY

Summary/Abstract: At international level the Codex Alimentarius has adopted General Guidelines on Claims in 1991 and Guidelines for the Use of Nutrition Claims in 1997. An amendment to the latter has been adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 2004. That amendment concerns the inclusion of health claims in the 1997 Guidelines. Due consideration is given to the definitions and conditions set in the Codex Guidelines. In the European Community legislation substances may be added for nutritional purposes, for example, foods for particular nutritional uses or as ingredients in food supplements. Such substances may include vitamins, minerals and certain other categories of nutrients such as amino acids and other nitrogen-containing substances in foods for particular nutritional uses. At the moment, regarding food supplements, specific rules only on vitamins and minerals have been laid down. For the purposes of the addition of nutritional substances to foods, it is considered that food products will generally fall within one of three broad groups of foods: - foods for particular nutritional uses, that might also be referred to as “dietetic foods” or “dietary foods” that are covered by the framework Council Directive 89/398/EEC on foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses; - food supplements, foodstuffs covered by Directive 2002/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on food supplements; or normal foods. An increasing number of foods labelled and advertised in the Community bear nutrition and health claims. In order to ensure a high level of protection for consumers and to facilitate their choice, products put on the market, including imported products, should be safe and adequately labelled. A varied and balanced diet is a prerequisite for good health and single products have a relative importance in the context of the total diet.

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