The European Commission will tomorrow approve tough new rules on food labelling and health claims, including a ban on such terms as "90 per cent fat-free" and claims that specific foods help weight loss. Claims that doctors recommend eating a certain food would be banned, along with all health claims for alcoholic drinks.
The European Food Safety Authority would evaluate health claims made for food products and there would be strict definitions of such terms as "low-fat", "low-sugar" and "high-fibre".
The Heath, Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Commissioner, Mr David Byrne, who drew up the proposal, said it would help consumers and the food industry.
"Consumers will receive accurate and meaningful information while food producers will be able to use serious and scientifically substantiated claims as a marketing tool without being drowned out by the many unsubstantiated and inaccurate claims that currently exist on the market. Furthermore, the creation of a regulation at EU-level will enable operators to compete on a fair and equal basis in all EU member-states," he said.
The EU already bans misleading claims on food labels but the new measure would go further, by prohibiting vague claims about the contribution a product can make to general well-being, such as "helps your body to resist stress", and claims related to psychological and behavioural functions.
Slimming and weight-loss claims, such as that a certain food "halves your calorie intake", would be banned.
The proposed regulation defines "low calorie" food as containing less than 40 calories per 100g or 20 calories per 100ml. Products described as "no calorie" or "calorie free" must contain less than 4 calories in total.
"Low fat" food is defined as containing less than 3g of fat per 100g or 1.5g of fat per 100ml and a claim that food is low in sugar can only be made where the product contains no more than 5g of sugars per 100g or 100ml.
A food described as "high fibre" must contain at least 6g of fibre per 100g or at least 3g of fibre per 100 calories and food can only be described as high in protein if at least 20 per cent of the energy value of the food is provided by protein.
The proposed regulation must be approved by EU governments and the European Parliament before it enters into force, probably in 2005.