EAS Focuses on EU Member State Interpretation Differences in Upcoming Claims Workshop

Commenting ahead of its upcoming health claims workshop for companies on 11 October in Brussels, EAS Regulatory Affairs Manager Stefanie Geiser said that companies adapting labelling or developing new products must be aware of the differences in interpretation becoming more and more apparent across Member States.

24 Aug 2012 --- Companies entering the EU market in the wake of the implementation of the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation face substantial discrepancies in how the regulation is applied from Member State to Member State, EAS has said.

Commenting ahead of its upcoming health claims workshop for companies on 11 October in Brussels, EAS Regulatory Affairs Manager Stefanie Geiser said that companies adapting labelling or developing new products must be aware of the differences in interpretation becoming more and more apparent across Member States.

“Interpretations on the flexibility of the wording, how the end of the transition period will be applied and what considerations will be taken regarding communication to health care professionals, are just some examples of the areas that are being applied differently across the member states,” said Geiser, who will co-host the workshop with fellow expert Patrick Coppens. “Implementation is now well underway, so companies must now focus on how to address this new challenge, benefit from this process and offset possible challenges.”

At the workshop, titled The Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation: Dealing with the present – Planning for the future, Geiser and Coppens will delve into a detailed analysis of the issues open to interpretation across the EU’s 27 Member States. They will also give insight into current thinking on how the national enforcement agencies will keep control of the new rules and the decisions likely to be taken on botanicals.

The workshop will also cover possibilities for claims rejected from the article 13.1 list of permitted claims; how nutrient profiles will impact on the claims regulation and the sector; requirements for successfully getting a claims application through the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and ways of communicating health benefits to consumers, all complemented with case studies of health claims practices in national markets.

“With so many aspects of the claims regulation still being implemented and under discussion it is difficult for companies to get the concrete advice they need to be able to successfully and sustainably market their products in the EU,” she continued. “Our workshop aims to bring clarity on the do’s and don’ts regarding the claims regulation, because we recognise that companies need to be correctly interpreting the legislation so that they can plan their business strategies around well-predicted outcomes.”