EU latest: water does not prevent dehydration

Fuelling criticism of EFSA’s decision-making progress, the authority’s Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies has disallowed a water related health claim. The banned claim was: “The regular consumption of significant amounts of water can reduce the risk of development of dehydration and of con-comitant decrease of performance.”​

The panel’s verdict hinged on its distinction between “water loss in tissues​” and “reduced water content in tissues​”.

Hydration​

The EFSA scientists decided that “water loss in tissues​” and “reduced water content in tissues​” are not risk factors, but measures of water depletion. As such, they are measures of the condition dehydration. Consequently, they concluded: “The proposed claim does not comply with the requirements for a disease risk reduction claim pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006.”​

Conservative MEP Roger Helmer told The Telegraph​: “The euro is burning, the EU is falling apart and yet here they are: highly-paid, highly-pensioned officials worrying about the obvious qualities of water and trying to deny us the right to say what is patently true.” ​

National Health Service guidelines advise Britons to drink at least 1.2 litres per day. Drinking water helps to avoid dehydration, it advises.

The ​EFSA ruling​ follows a three-year investigation.