The European Commission has introduced a new regulation to harmonise the control of nutrition and health claims being made on foods across Europe:
- A nutrition claim is a nutrient-content claim e.g. 'a rich source of calcium'.
- A health claim links a food, ingredient or component to health e.g 'calcium helps maintain strong bones'.
- A disease-risk reduction claim is a health claim about reducing the risk of a disease e.g. 'can help to reduce the risk of heart disease'.
- A medicinal claim is used in describing something that cures, prevents or treats a disease. Medicinal claims are prohibited on foods.
