Health claim

Health claim is a statement about the relationship between a food substance and a disease or health-related condition. The use of health claims in food labeling is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States and by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in the European Union.

Definition

A health claim is a statement made on the label of a food product that describes the relationship between a food component and a disease or health-related condition. The claim must be supported by scientific evidence and approved by a regulatory authority such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States or the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in the European Union.

Types of Health Claims

There are three types of health claims that can be made on food labels:

1. Authorized health claims are those that are based on well-established relationships between a food component and a disease or health-related condition. These claims are approved by the FDA or EFSA and must be supported by significant scientific agreement among qualified experts.
2. Qualified health claims are those that are based on emerging evidence for a relationship between a food component and a disease or health-related condition. These claims are also approved by the FDA or EFSA, but the level of evidence supporting the claim is not as strong as for authorized health claims.
3. Structure/function claims describe the role of a nutrient or dietary ingredient in maintaining normal healthy structures or functions of the body. These claims do not require pre-approval by the FDA or EFSA, but the manufacturer is responsible for ensuring the accuracy and truthfulness of the claim.

Regulation

In the United States, the use of health claims on food labels is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the authority of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. In the European Union, health claims are regulated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) under the authority of the European Food Law.

See Also

• Nutrition facts label
• Dietary supplement
• Food labeling regulations