pay attention to sales pitches on food products

We must begin by distinguishing between a nutrition claim and a health claim. The first suggests or implies that a foodstuff has particular beneficial nutritional properties. It is for example the mention “reduced in sugars” that one can see on the packaging of yoghurts or compotes, in particular. The second goes further, since it suggests a link with health; these are, for example, dairy products displaying that “calcium is necessary for normal growth and bone development in children” or a margarine rich in rapeseed oil “helps lower cholesterol”. It’s not false. But be careful, a health claim should never claim that the food prevents or cures a disease. It’s not about drugs.

We can’t always rely on these allegations, far from there. First, stay away from products that present themselves as a solution to cure or prevent the appearance of a disease, for example a yoghurt claiming that “calcium prevents osteoporosis.” This is prohibited by the European regulation which, since 2007, has framed all these claims.

Another trick that manufacturers sometimes use: indicating a health claim that is not on the list of formulations authorized by the European Commission, such as “Coconut aids digestion”. Finally, you should know that, for the moment, even a bad food in its composition can use a claim. Take a fruit juice full of sugars: well, nothing prevents the manufacturer from presenting it as “rich in vitamin C”. In other words, the consumer will be encouraged to drink more than another fruit juice, without necessarily knowing that he is ingesting tens of grams of sugar at the same time.

Regulations should tighten up by next year to prevent this type of anomaly. In the meantime, let’s not forget that a claim is above all marketing!