Food Health Claims Proposals Released

The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) today announced that its review into the current prohibition of health claims on food in Australia and New Zealand has entered a critical public consultation stage.

At present, the food regulations do not allow claims on labels that make a direct link between eating a food or nutrient and a reduced risk of disease. For example, food producers can say 'fruit and vegetables are good for you' but cannot say 'fruit and vegetables may help prevent the risk of cancer'.

A full assessment report has just been issued for public comment which discusses the issues involved in the health claims debate and four options available to ANZFA:

to make no changes to the current regulations which prohibit health claims;
to tighten the current regulations to prevent food manufacturers using loop holes to make claims;
to maintain the current prohibition, but to provide for exemptions on a claim-by- claim basis; or
to remove the prohibition of health claims from the food regulations.
ANZFA's Managing Director, Ian Lindenmayer, said ANZFA's favoured option is to allow claim-by-claim exemptions to the prohibition, supported by a rigorous, science-based examination of the claims by an Expert Panel.

'ANZFA has recently evaluated its health claims pilot which permits the promotion of the B-vitamin folate in food as being important to protect against birth deformities due to neural tube defects such as spina bifida,' Mr Lindenmayer said.

This pilot has been in operation for eighteen months and the consultants' reports will be released next week.

'However, I can say that the management framework established for the folate pilot demonstrated that it is possible to successfully manage a health claim system in Australia and New Zealand. It also showed a significant increase in the awareness of women of child-bearing age of the importance of folate in their diet.

'As far as we know, no other country has conducted a pilot scheme for a health claim system, making the folate health claim pilot a world-first for Australia and New Zealand.'

In the United States, twelve health claims for food labels have been approved, including claims for calcium and osteoporosis, sodium and hypertension, fruit and vegetables and cancer, and heart disease and soy protein.

Interested parties have until 25 October 2000 to comment on the report of the Review of Health and Related Claims , which can be obtained directly from ANZFA or on the ANZFA website at www.foodstandards.gov.au .

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Please send feedback, comments and suggested improvements to: webcomments@foodstandards.gov.au

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