EFSA conference on nutrition and health claims

Document(3.2Mb)

ISBN 978-92-9199-063-4
Publication date: February 2008
Available in English

Obesity and other dietary problems are an ever-growing public health issue worldwide. In response, EFSA convened a major conference to lay the foundations for a better and more scientific understanding of the nutritional and health claims made about food.

Preventing obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases in Europe requires evidence-based policies and programmes. That is why the EU proposed and then adopted in 2006 a Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims made on Foods. As part of the Regulation EFSA was tasked with acting as an independent European scientific authority in nutrition.

EFSA held its first-ever event on such a topic on 8-10 November 2006 in Bologna. It underlines EFSA’s increasing activity in nutrition, one of its six key priorities for the coming years.

The Conference aimed:

1. To explain EFSA’s scientific role in the context of the new Regulation which entered into force in 2007;
2. To listen carefully to all experts from Member States, non-member countries, academia, stakeholders, the European Commission and Parliament;
3. To exchange views, experience, preferences, and;
4. To have an open debate and discuss issues such as the scientific substantiation of the nutritional and health claims made about the benefits of food.

This Meeting Summary Report includes the report of the conference, drafted by Prof. Judith Buttriss of the British Nutrition Foundation, as well as its programme and presentations from speakers and break-out sessions.