Nutrition profiles

Nutrition and health claims are only permitted if the product complies with a number of conditions for the content of fat, saturated fat, trans fatty acids, sugar and salt. These are what are termed nutrition profiles. Although it states in the claims legislation that the European Commission is to have drawn up nutrition profiles by at the latest 19 January 2009 up to now definitive criteria for these nutrition profiles still have to be established.

Therefore, the nutrition profile requirement does not apply at the moment. From the moment that the profiles do apply a product must comply with the whole profile for a health claim to be approved. However, a nutrition claim remains permitted if only one nutrient exceeds the criteria, provided that this is stated equally legibly and on the same side of the packaging as the claim. Exceptions are the nutrition claim ‘light’ and the claim concerning reducing the content of one of the above-named 'nutrition profile nutrients': e.g. ‘reduced (saturated) fat’. This last claim is permitted when the relevant content is at least 30% lower than that in a comparable product without having to comply with a nutrition profile. When using the term ‘light’ it must be stated though to what the claim refers to, for example, sugar or fat

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