ARTIFICIAL FORTIFICATION OF FOODSTUFFS
particular vitamin or mineral to make an alternative claim that has relevance to its target audience. For others, the solution is not so simple, and where products do not already contain ingredients at a sufficient level to make alternative health claims, manufacturers are considering whether fortifying or reformulating their products is a viable solution.
ADDED BENEFIT Fortifying and reformulating are two alternative methods of adjusting food products to make its content more attractive to consumers. Fortification involves adding an ingredient solely to support a claim, while we use the term reformulation to describe a process in which some of the less attractive ingredients are omitted from a product. A common example of reformulation is the replacement of artificial ingredients with natural alternatives, in order to support a claim that the product is ‘natural’. Reformulation allows the
manufacturers to reduce the presence of undesirable properties in a product, such as saturated fat or sodium, to allow the manufacturer to make a positive nutrition claim. The authorised list of health claims
Nutrient Claim
Calcium •Calcium contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes •Calcium contributes to normal muscle function •Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones •Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal teeth
Docosahex aenoic acid (DHA)
• DHA contributes to maintenance of normal brain function • DHA contributes to the maintenance of normal vision
allows businesses to claim, for example, that “reducing consumption of saturated fat contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels”, a highly desirable claim to be able to associate with a food product.
VITAMINS Adding vitamins or minerals to foodstuffs by way of fortification is a particularly promising option for manufacturers. The addition of just 15 per cent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of a vitamin or mineral is enough to open up an array of health claims for most products. This is because 15 per cent of RDA is the level at which the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation allows a product to be defined as a ‘source of’ the given vitamin or mineral. As long as it is made clear that it is the added nutrient, rather than the product itself, which provides the associated health benefits, then there is no limitation on using any of the claims associated with the added vitamins or nutrients. The assertions that can be
made through the addition of nutrients extend across the full range of claim areas. For example, if a manufacturer wants to make claims about benefiting muscles and bones, it
Condition of use 15 per cent of RDA
can add some calcium or vitamin D. If it wants to link its product with brain functioning benefits, then it is simply a case of adding some Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). For the majority of such claims, a manufacturer only needs to ensure that the product contains a ‘source of’ level (ie 15 per cent of RDA), meaning that the claims are relatively easy to achieve. Some examples are set out in the table pictured.
CLAIM WITHOUT BLAME? One of the biggest challenges with making most of the authorised claims, however, is that the approved language to describe the benefit is not particularly consumer friendly. All of the guidance that has been issued to date has made it clear that manufacturers do not need to use the exact wording that the EU has produced for each claim, as long as the language used has the same meaning for the consumer. However, it is not particularly clear how far businesses will be allowed to go in developing alternative terminology. For example, it isn’t clear
whether it will be acceptable to use the word ‘healthy’ rather than ‘normal’ in claims where normal would usually be associated with healthy - such as with claims relating to bones, teeth, muscle function, and so on. While it is likely that this will be acceptable, various wordings will need to be tested with enforcers, and some manufacturers may find themselves falling foul of stringent enforcement as the boundaries are established.
Only for food which con- tains at least 40mg of DHA per 100g and per 100kcal. In order to bear the claim information shall be given to the consumer that the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 250mg of DHA.
Iodine Iron
•Iodine contributes to the maintenance of normal skin
•Iron contributes to normal cognitive function •Iron contributes to the normal function of the immune system •Iron contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12
•Vitamin B12 contributes to the normal function of the immune system
•Vitamin B6 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue •Vitamin B12 contributes to the normal function of the immune system
15 per cent RDA. 15 per cent RDA. FOOD FOR THOUGHT 15 per cent RDA. 15 per cent RDA.
Adding ingredients to foodstuffs can be a very effective way to make products more attractive to consumers. What’s more, with the list of authorised claims driving many manufacturers to rethink how and what claims they can make, it is likely that many will be thinking about how they can make the most out of fortifying their products with vitamins and nutrients. However, until there is some clarity regarding how much leeway manufacturers have to deviate from the EU’s official claim wording, the true value of product fortification cannot be fully realised.
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FMCGNews.co.uk
“Adding vitamins or minerals to foodstuffs by way of fortification is a particularly promising option for manufacturers. The addition of just 15 per cent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of a vitamin or mineral is enough to open up an array of health claims for most products. ”
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