March 4/London/The Grocer -- Widely used nutrition claims such as "no added salt" look set to be safeguarded on food and drink products after the EC signaled support for amendments to draft health claims regulations.

Exemptions to The Nutrition and Health Claims regulations published in January 2010 did not include "no added sodium/salt," and suppliers feared products such as cereals and tinned sweetcorn would no longer be able to make this claim on pack even though the salt was naturally occurring.

However, a Department of Health update last month reported "general support" for draft proposals to add this claim to the list of exemptions.

Under the new proposals products would be exempt provided they did not naturally exceed 0.12g per 100g or 100ml. Suppliers said the amendments would help them better reflect reformulation efforts and communicate the benefits of healthier products to consumers instead of being in limbo.

The draft regulation is set to be tabled on May 2. "It's looking pretty positive they will push ahead with changes to the legislation to allow the claim," said Eversheds partner Owen Warnock.  

From the March 7, 2011, Prepared Foods' Daily News
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