Nutrient profiling research 2003

Wednesday 30 July 2003

In January 2003, the European Commission published a preliminary draft proposal for a regulation on the voluntary addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other substances to foods.

That proposal focussed on addition of vitamins and minerals to foods since these are the nutrients most commonly added.

The draft included a provision prohibiting the addition of vitamins and minerals to fresh produce e.g. fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and to most alcoholic beverages.

It did not seek to prohibit fortification of foods on the basis of nutritional profile (for example, foods high in sugar, fat and salt).

Some consumer groups argue that products (e.g. sweets, high fat and high salt snacks) with an 'undesirable' nutritional profile should not be fortified because that might make them more attractive to consumers and could undermine healthy eating messages.

The Agency's view is that it is important that addition of nutrients to foods, and health claims made for foods, should not undermine public health messages .

It is therefore important to consider whether developing criteria which could be used as a basis for prohibiting voluntary fortification is practical and would be in the public interest.

However, developing such criteria would be tricky so in order to look at the practicalities we commissioned research aimed at exploring international experiences, and testing practical approaches to developing criteria for foods to which nutrients could, or could not, be added, or on which health claims could be made.

Key findings are that, generally speaking:

• in other countries, there is a close relationship between which foods are deemed suitable vehicles for voluntary addition of vitamins and minerals, and which can carry health claims
• where there are restrictions on fortification these are based on nutritional profiles of foods; for health claims food or nutrient based criteria are used
• whilst all the options considered had advantages and disadvantages, it would be possible in most cases to tailor criteria to fit the objectives of the regulator

This report will be sent to officials at the European Commission to inform their work on the next draft of the proposal.