EU decision may cast shadow on dairy

Most cheeses and many spreadable fats will not be able to carry health claims of any kind if the latest version of the nutrient profiling model underpinning the EU Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation is adopted, the Provision Trade Federation (PTF) has warned.

While the proposed thresholds for saturated fat have now been revised upward to allow claims on whole-milk-based products, the thresholds for saturated fat in cheese remain unchanged at 10g/100g, despite intense lobbying from the dairy industry. The sodium levels for spreadable fats and vegetable oils are also fixed at 500mg/100g.

If foods exceed any of the thresholds, they will automatically be excluded from making health claims. As such, claims referring to the beneficial effects of calcium on bones would not be permitted on most cheeses, said the PTF.

Nutrition claims (eg 'high in fibre/low-fat') will be allowed if only one nutrient exceeds its threshold, but will have to be accompanied by 'warning' labels highlighting that the product in question is also high in fat, salt or sugar. This was a "pretty pointless" concession, given that few manufacturers would want to make a nutrition claim if they also had to issue a warning, said the PTF.

There is also no special treatment for chocolate, which means health claims about heart-friendly cocoa polyphenols or probiotics will have to go unless products are extensively reformulated.

A vote on the nutrient profiling model is scheduled for this month, with publication of the adopted text after scrutiny by the European Parliament, which is expected by the summer.