Nutrition and health related claims
(Last updated April 2012)
Nutrition health and related claims are voluntary statements made by manufacturers on labels and in advertising about the nutrient content of a food, or a relationship between a food and health.
Nutrition claims are claims such as ‘low in fat’ or ‘source of calcium’. Health claims refer to a relationship between a food and health, such as ‘rich in calcium for strong bones’. Related claims include nutrition or health-related endorsements.
FSANZ has been working on the development of a draft Standard for Nutrition, Health and Related Claims.
Once gazetted, draft standard 1.2.7 Nutrition, Health and Related Claims will:
- ensure food products carrying nutrition content claims and health claims provide adequate information for consumers
- reduce the risk of misleading and deceptive claims on food labels
- expand the range of permitted claims
- allow industry to innovate giving consumers a wider range of healthy food choices.
Under the draft Standard, it is proposed that all claims will have to be scientifically substantiated and not misleading. Foods will also have to meet certain criteria to be eligible to carry health claims.
On 17 February 2012, FSANZ released a consultation paper on two matters including the revised draft Standard and the matter of fat free and percentage fat free claims. Submissions on the consultation paper (pdf 1.39mb) closed on 30 March 2012.
It is important to note that the draft Standard is a working document and will remain subject to change until the COAG Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation agrees to it. It will then be incorporated into the Code.
More information
Q and A – more information on the draft standard for nutrition, health and related claims
Health and Related Claims Policy Guideline
The food labelling review report released in January 2011.
Health claims are currently regulated by a transitional Standard 1.1A.2.