EU Finally Meets with Industry on Health Claims

BRUSSELS—A technical meeting between the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and three European trade groups for food supplements manufacturers and suppliers in Europe appears to have finally opened up the process on the health claims (article 13) process.

Held Feb. 25, the meeting included the European Responsible Nutrition Alliance (ERNA), the European Federation of Associations of Health Product Manufacturers (EHPM), and the European Botanical Forum (EBF) and signaled the start of EFSA's discussion with stakeholders on the agency's work in the area of nutrition and health claims and botanicals.

During the meeting, stakeholders were given an overview of the most recent developments on claims to be assessed by EFSA in the context of the EC Regulation on nutrition and health claims. EFSA not only explained its work in the area of botanicals, but it also detailed ongoing and future work of the Scientific Committee in developing guidance for the safety assessment of botanicals, as well as the work of the Panel on food additives and nutrient sources added to food (ANS) on the assessment of the safety of nutritional substances added to food and food supplements.

“This was a very good meeting and it gave us the opportunity to hear feedback from industry associations on our current work in the area of botanicals and botanical preparations," said Riitta Maijala, director of risk assessment at EFSA. She noted the trade groups were invited to a conference EFSA is planning for June on the subject of EFSA’s work in the area of health and nutrition claims.

EFSA's efforts to reach out to stakeholders drew mixed reactions from the industry participants.

"We are very happy to have had this meeting with EFSA at long last, because we feel that there has not been enough consultation with the stakeholders throughout the article 13 claims process," said Lorene Courrege, director of regulatory affairs at EHPM. "However, we are disappointed that EFSA's planned meeting with stakeholders is taking place only in June. We feel that this is a very late date, taking into account the fact that EFSA has already started evaluating article 13 claims and plans to submit their first opinions in July. Realistically therefore, it is difficult to see what can be achieved from the meeting given the short space of time between it and when EFSA starts giving opinions."